Posted on 12/25/2005 8:33:51 PM PST by Hacksaw
La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is one of Gaudí's most impressive works. This enormous church, as yet unfinished, is in some respect a summary of everything that Gaudí designed before, because the structural difficulties he faced and errors he committed in other projects are revisited and resolved here.
A notable example of this is Gaudí's innovative "leaning columns" (that is, columns which are not at right angles to the floor and ceiling). Previously seen in Parque Güell, leaning columns form the structure of Sagrada Familia's temple. When designing the temple, Gaudí invented an extraordinary method for determining the correct angle for each of the leaning columns. He made a small hanging model of the church, using string to represent the columns. Then he turned the model upside down and... gravity did the math.
The ongoing construction of Sagrada Familia is paid for by tourism. When the church is complete, it will have a total of 18 towers, each dedicated to a different religious figure, and each one hollow, allowing the placement of various types of bells which will sound with the choir.
The architectural style of Sagrada Familia has been called "warped Gothic," and it's easy to see why. The rippling contours of the stone façade make it look as though Sagrada Familia is melting in the sun, while the towers are topped with brightly-colored mosaics which look like bowls of fruit. Gaudí believed that color is life, and, knowing that he would not live to see completion of his masterpiece, left colored drawings of his vision for future architects to follow.
While I very much like Gaudi's fanciful dragon-roofed buildings and appreciate the cleverness of using analog stress analyses to design what are probably the maximal height arches and towers feasible in stonework, I personally think his cathedral is ghastly.
And no, it's not Orthodox chauvanism: I like gothic architecture as well as romanesque, I just don't like the results of Gaudi's genius in this case.
(Of course the reason it's unfinished is amusing: the Spanish left hated it because it was an RC cathedral, the Spanish right hated it because it was modern. The Catalans now are intent on finishing it as a point of national pride.)
I used to think it was ugly, but it really grew on me over the years.
It is truly one of the most stunning buildings I have ever seen, and is a "must see" if you are in that part of Spain. I have to admit, though, that I prefer the "organic" side of the building to the modernist. It looks as though coral became sentient and got religion.
Fascinating building. However it's interesting that the Son of God led a very humble life as a human being, and humanity created some of the gaudiest buildings to worship Him.
One of these days (years more likely) I would like to take a vacation to Europe. La Sagrada Familia and Barcelona is on the list, along with Munich, Vatican City, and hopefully St. Petersburg (that is if the Russian mafia hasn't made it completely unsafe).
Exquisite stonework. Some parts look as if water directed by the hand of God literally eroded the sculptures into form.
An extraordinary piece of architecture. Seeing it up close and personal is much more impressive than the photos.
What I like about it is that from a distance, it looks like melting cement, but close up pictures show a lot of fine details and carvings. It should be amazing if it is ever finished.
Yes, indeed it is a very impressive piece of architecture. Will it be finished one day? It amazed me in whatever state of completion it was in when I saw it nearly 15 years ago.
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