After 144 long years of construction, Spain’s Sagrada Familia was finally slated for completion in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Antoni Gaudi’s (the original architect) death.
Now, however, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project is going to miss that completion date. Construction was halted back in early March when Spain went into a national lockdown. Work is expected to begin again in the next few weeks, as long as the virus doesn’t spike. After announcing the reactivation of construction, the Delegate President of the Sagrada Familia Construction Board, Esteve Camps, said the Tower of the Virgin, the project’s second tallest spire at approximately 452 feet, is anticipated for completion in 2021.
When completed, the Sagrada Familia will feature 18 towers with the highest reaching 564 feet into the air. According to the Sagrada Familia Construction Board, “Currently, all the levels of the tower are already in place and only the elements of the 25-meter terminal are missing, which will be crowned by an illuminated twelve-pointed star.” In addition to the tallest spire, the main facade, which is known as the Glory Facade, still needs to be completed, as well. No new completion date has been provided.
Related Stories
| Dec 20, 2013
Ten spectacular contemporary churches [slideshow]
German building-information provider Emporis compiles a photographic tour of inspirational spaces.
| Dec 13, 2013
Safe and sound: 10 solutions for fire and life safety
From a dual fire-CO detector to an aspiration-sensing fire alarm, BD+C editors present a roundup of new fire and life safety products and technologies.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 26, 2013
Construction costs rise for 22nd straight month in November
Construction costs in North America rose for the 22nd consecutive month in November as labor costs continued to increase, amid growing industry concern over the tight availability of skilled workers.
| Nov 25, 2013
Building Teams need to help owners avoid 'operational stray'
"Operational stray" occurs when a building’s MEP systems don’t work the way they should. Even the most well-designed and constructed building can stray from perfection—and that can cost the owner a ton in unnecessary utility costs. But help is on the way.
| Nov 19, 2013
Top 10 green building products for 2014
Assa Abloy's power-over-ethernet access-control locks and Schüco's retrofit façade system are among the products to make BuildingGreen Inc.'s annual Top-10 Green Building Products list.
| Nov 13, 2013
Installed capacity of geothermal heat pumps to grow by 150% by 2020, says study
The worldwide installed capacity of GHP systems will reach 127.4 gigawatts-thermal over the next seven years, growth of nearly 150%, according to a recent report from Navigant Research.
| Oct 30, 2013
11 hot BIM/VDC topics for 2013
If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics.
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
