After 137 years of waiting, the Sagrada Família gets construction permit on the path to completion

By / MOOK Scenic Spots Family compiled report
 
The Sagrada Família, originally named Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, was the lifelong vision of Gaudí, the "Architect of God." It has also been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but in 2016 it was discovered that it did not have a valid construction permit. It wasn’t until early June of this year that it finally obtained a legal building license.

As 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death, the construction project is also expected to be completed by then, commemorating all of Gaudí’s contributions to architecture. Once finished, the Sagrada Família will stand at a height of 172.5 meters, becoming the tallest religious building in the world.

In 2016, the Barcelona city government discovered that the original construction permit application had been shelved. After negotiations, an agreement was reached with the Sagrada Família Foundation, whereby the Barcelona city government would receive approximately 165 million euros, and committed to improving nearby transportation and public infrastructure over the next 10 years in exchange for the legal construction permit.

The Sagrada Família is located in Barcelona, the capital of Spain's Catalonia region. It is not a Catholic church, and its architectural style belongs to Catalan Modernism. Gaudí devoted his life to constructing the Sagrada Família, making it almost the crowning masterpiece of his life’s work.

Gaudí used rigorous mathematical calculations in the architectural design and repeatedly employed models to simulate the building’s structure. Much of the design inspiration came from nature. The vaulted ceilings of the nave resemble towering trees, and sunlight filters in through the side stained glass windows—an architectural technique full of imagery.