Construction Continues, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, 2018
They might be! The work continues at a rapid pace and 2026 appears to be the current goal–a mere 144 years after the first stone was laid.
Why 2026? Well, significantly, that year would commemorate the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. The poor guy was crushed by a streetcar at the age of 73 and was initially thought to be a simple beggar as he had taken to dressing shabbily, his personal hygiene habits had gone pretty far downhill, and he carried no identification. Consequently, he didn’t receive the best of medical care. By the time his identity was discovered, it was too late.
The funeral was well-attended and he was buried in a crypt inside the Temple, where his remains remain, so to speak.
His tombstone reads:
“Antoni Gaudí Cornet. From Reus. At the age of 74, a man of exemplary life, and an extraordinary craftsman, the author of this marvelous work, the church, died piously in Barcelona on the tenth day of June 1926; henceforward the ashes of so great a man await the resurrection of the dead. May he rest in peace.”
They may not be completely finished with all the trimmings by 2026, but all the major construction ought to be concluded. It will be interesting to see if they actually move current Barcelona residents out of the nearby buildings, have the structures demolished, and build the grand esplanade that Gaudí envisioned.
As a photographer who has visited this amazing architectural marvel on several occasions–including way back in ’84 when it looked like little more than a dusty stone quarry with a few bizarre towers–I always find it a challenge to find a way to photograph it that might be different. Different from the way I have done it before…and different from how its millions of visitors have photographed it.
On this latest visit, here are a few of my attempts…
I love the angular sculptures here, and especially the perspective:
Passion Façade, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, 2018
Sometimes, an interesting image happens when you look away from the main subject. In this case, I made a photo of a photo being taken in the nearby park:
The Photo, Barcelona, 2018
Another view down from one of the Temple’s towers. The building–a Gaudí classic–was once a school for the children of the Temple’s workers and was burned twice during the Spanish Civil War. As construction on the Temple continues, they apparently may have to move a part of it:
The Ramp and the Roof, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, 2018
When you walk down the 400+ steps in one of the big towers you will naturally want to photograph the snail effect. Here, looking up, I tried to include the blur of a passing human tourist as a slightly different take on the theme. Low light was a problem in the staircase so ISO 3200 and some noise reduction in post were both necessary. For such a small camera, the little Sony RX100ii does a pretty good job in these situations:
Caracol, #3, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, 2018
Inside the main sanctuary, try playing with the mirror for some unusual effects. Perhaps it is here so folks don’t leave with a crick in their neck from looking up for so long (with mouths agape) at the spectacular columns, windows, and ceiling?
The Mirror, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, 2018
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