Spain, 2001

Sagrada Familia

Gaudí is everywhere in Barcelona. There's Parc Güell, La Pedrera, and Casa Battlo. Sagrada Familia, his attempt at a cathedral is probably the most interesting. Certainly, to me anyway, it was his most ambitious project. Much of my interest in it, however, is because of the fact that it was never completed. Because of cost, and eventually Gaudí's death in 1926, the project was never completed. Today, artisans and architects are laboriously trying to finish the structure, working from the celebrated architect's personal notes, drawing and models. Sagrada Familia should be on everyone's list of places to visit while in Barcelona. And if you visit, make sure you climb up to the top of the structure--ignore the elevator. It's well the trip.

Towers in the distance	Approaching the entrance	Towers	Detail of figure	Support columns	Second entrance
Cement and tile ornament	Sky light detail	Second entrance front	Stairs to lower level	Second entrance, closer	Painting of finished structure
Model of interior	Workers' studio	Upside down visualization	Linden in tower stairwell	Stone lizards	Looking down the staircase
Stained glass	Grafitti walls	Stone Snail and Asparagus peaks	Stone Snails 2	Future stained glass window	Linden in parapet
Fed in parapet	Stone figure below	Stone figure 2	Looking up a tower	Parapet to parapet	Marked stairwell
Columns in tower	View into center with scaffolding	Inside tower cone	Across to other tower set	Between two towers, looking up	Overlooking Barcelona
At the very top	Looking down, inside a tower