I can concur with this. When I first saw pictures of it, it does look ugly. Then when you see it in person, it is absolutely unbelievable. I think it is because you cannot see the detail of it from a distance. When you get close and start seeing all the sculpture and detail on the building, it is very overwhelming (in a good way).
It is worth traveling to Barcelona to see this.
I was not expecting such a beautiful work of art. I normally would not go for this architecture; favoring instead the Duomos of Milan and Florence. What was truly amazing was the small museum which showed how Gaudi incorporated things he found in nature and then incorporated them into his buildings. It opens you up to a whole new perspective.
I have been in quite a few of the classic European cathedrals, and can honestly say that Sagra de Familia is my favorite. The Duomo in Milan is so dark. I can’t quite explain the breathless feeling of light that I experienced when I went into the SDF. I could feel myself being drawn upwards through it. It is amazing.
Truly a symphony of geometry, light, and structure. Worth the trip to Barcelona.