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
| Jun 12, 2014
Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method
Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.
| Jun 10, 2014
Gaudi’s famed cathedral on ice: Dutch students to construct 132-foot ice replica of Sagrada Familia
"Sagrada Familia in Ice" will be built with a mixture of wooden fibers and plain ice that is three times stronger than ice.
| May 29, 2014
7 cost-effective ways to make U.S. infrastructure more resilient
Moving critical elements to higher ground and designing for longer lifespans are just some of the ways cities and governments can make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change, writes Richard Cavallaro, President of Skanska USA Civil.
| May 20, 2014
Kinetic Architecture: New book explores innovations in active façades
The book, co-authored by Arup's Russell Fortmeyer, illustrates the various ways architects, consultants, and engineers approach energy and comfort by manipulating air, water, and light through the layers of passive and active building envelope systems.
| May 19, 2014
What can architects learn from nature’s 3.8 billion years of experience?
In a new report, HOK and Biomimicry 3.8 partnered to study how lessons from the temperate broadleaf forest biome, which houses many of the world’s largest population centers, can inform the design of the built environment.
| May 13, 2014
19 industry groups team to promote resilient planning and building materials
The industry associations, with more than 700,000 members generating almost $1 trillion in GDP, have issued a joint statement on resilience, pushing design and building solutions for disaster mitigation.
| May 12, 2014
Lubbock, Texas, to build modern 'tent city' as shelter for homeless
On the five-acre site of a former cotton gin, the High Cotton program provides temporary shelter for Lubbock's homeless population. The facility needs to expand due to increased need, and new plans have been drawn up.
| May 11, 2014
Final call for entries: 2014 Giants 300 survey
BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 survey forms are due Wednesday, May 21. Survey results will be published in our July 2014 issue. The annual Giants 300 Report ranks the top AEC firms in commercial construction, by revenue.
| Apr 29, 2014
USGBC launches real-time green building data dashboard
The online data visualization resource highlights green building data for each state and Washington, D.C.
| Apr 16, 2014
Upgrading windows: repair, refurbish, or retrofit [AIA course]
Building Teams must focus on a number of key decisions in order to arrive at the optimal solution: repair the windows in place, remove and refurbish them, or opt for full replacement.
