Sagrada Familia And It’s Mesmerising Appeal To Catalan
-
- August 20, 2021
The Sagrada Família, is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona,Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Though the construction had commenced in 1882, Gaudí became majorly involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Art critic Rainer Zerbst said “it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art”. Paul Goldberger called it ‘the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages’.
Construction And Design
After Gaudí’s death, work continued until it was interrupted again by the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Parts of the unfinished basilica and Gaudí’s models and workshop were destroyed during the war. The present design is based on reconstructed versions of the plans that were burned in a fire as well as on modern adaptations. The central nave vaulting was completed in 2000 and the main tasks since then have been the construction of the transept vaults and apse. As of 2006, work concentrated on the crossing and supporting structure for the main tower of Jesus Christ.
The style of Sagrada Familia is heavily inspired by Spanish Late Gothic, Catalan Modernism and to Art Nouveau or Catalan Noucentisme. While the Sagrada Família falls within the Art Nouveau period, Gaudí carried the Art Nouveau style far beyond its usual application as a surface level prop.
Interior Of Sagrada Familia
The layout of the church is a Latin cross with five aisles. The central nave vaults are 45 metres high, while the side nave vaults are 30 metres high. Three aisles make up the transept. The columns are arranged in a grid of 7.5 metres. However, the apse columns, which rest on del Villar’s foundation, do not correspond to the grid, necessitating the transition of a section of the ambulatory columns to the grid.