Located in Barcelona, Spain, La Sagrada Familia is vast architectural endeavor that is a major tourist destination in Spain. This privately-funded church has been under construction since 1882, and is not expected to be finished until 2026. Most visitors await the public opening of a portion of its interior scheduled in September 2010.
La Sagrada Familia is considered the masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), a famous Catalan architect. The last 15 years of Gaudi’s life was centered in the construction of this massive infrastructure. The architectural design is so amazing; it’s been one of Barcelona’s top tourist attractions for years. This magnificent architecture has been subject of countless abstract paintings.
Originally, the project was under Francesc Del Villar. When he resigned a year later, Antoni Gaudi was put in his place and the whole design was changed completely. On Gaudi’s death, Domènech Sugranyes took over. However the project was interrupted in 1936 because of the Spanish Civil War. Catalan anarchists destroyed several unfinished areas along with Gaudi’s models and workshop. Currently, the design is from the reconstructed lost plans of Gaudi and through computer generated modern adaptations.
No other church in Spain is as rich in Christian symbolism as La Sagrada Familia. Gaudi has intended the church to be the “last great sanctuary of Christendom.” The current construction of the church is bridled with controversy. The application of Computer Aided design technology allows the needed stone blocks to be shaped by a CNC milling machine off-site. People can view the complete description of the current construction and future plans in an exhibited catalogue at the Deutsches Architekturmuseum Frankfurt are Main. Catalan architects are advocating the halt of the construction as a respect to the original architectural designs of Gaudi. Those people who are in charge of the project are opposing the idea. It is expected that by September 2010. If you cannot visit La Sagrada Familia, you can view gallery paintings of this church in museums. Abstract art paintings of La Sagrada Familia are also available online.