Sagrada Família · 1882–2040 | ChronotopiaSagrada Família: from a neo-Gothic crypt to the world's tallest church. Explore in 3D how it was built from 1882 to 2040, year by year: towers, façades, cranes and planned works.2026 · The world's tallest churchThe Jesus Christ tower goes from 142.5 m in December 2024 to 155.58 m in July 2025, the tallest building in Barcelona; on 27 October the lower arm of the cross, at 162.91 m, overtakes Ulm Minster. On 20 February 2026 the top arm of the 17 × 13.5 m cross is set and the tower reaches its final height of 172.5 m. On 10 June, the centenary of Gaudí's death, Pope Leo XIV blesses it.Stages

1882 · First stone: On 19 March 1882 Bishop Urquinaona lays the first stone in a field in Sant Martí de Provençals, still outside the city. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Viquipèdia: Francesc de Paula del Villar, Viquipèdia: Josep Maria Bocabella

1883 · Gaudí takes over: Villar resigns in March 1883 over costs, and in November the work passes to Antoni Gaudí, aged 31. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Basílica: Quadern 5, cripta i absis, Wikipedia: Sagrada Família

1893 · The apse façade: Between 1890 and 1893 the apse walls go up, still on Villar's plan of seven chapels but with Gaudí's pinnacles and detail. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 5, cripta i absis, Catalan News: cronologia

1899 · The Rosary portal: Gaudí plans a cloister wrapping the whole church. Sources: Basílica: Booklet 6, Naixement, Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història

1909 · The Schools: For the children of the workers and the neighbourhood, Gaudí builds provisional schools in 1908–09 with wavy brick walls and roof, a lesson in ruled geometry later admired by Le Corbusier. Sources: Viquipèdia: Escoles de la Sagrada Família, Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història

1925 · The first tower: St Barnabas: From 1914 Gaudí works only on the church and lives in the workshop. Sources: Basílica: Booklet 6, Naixement, Basílica: Booklet 10, torres, Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història

1926 · Gaudí dies: On 7 June 1926 Gaudí is hit by a tram on the Gran Via; he dies on the 10th and is buried in the crypt. Sources: Catalan News: cronologia, Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Wikipedia: Antoni Gaudí

1930 · The four Nativity towers: In 1930 Sugrañes finishes the towers of Simon, Jude Thaddeus and Matthias. Sources: Basílica: Booklet 6, Naixement, Basílica: Booklet 10, torres

1936 · The fire: On 20 July 1936, as the Civil War breaks out, rioters burn the crypt, the workshop and the Schools. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Viquipèdia: Escoles de la Sagrada Família

1952 · Work starts again: Francesc de Paula Quintana pieces the broken models back together and restores the crypt. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Wikipedia: Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia, Viquipèdia: Francesc de Paula Quintana

1954 · The Passion façade begins: From Gaudí's drawings of 1911 and 1917, and with public collections from 1955, the foundations of the Passion façade are dug in 1954, across a nave that does not exist yet. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Basílica: Quadern 4, Basílica: Booklet 7, Passió

1966 · The tower cranes arrive: Around 1966 the first tower crane goes up, a French Weitz with 110 m under the hook, tied between the Passion towers, where it will stay for 35 years. Sources: Cranes & Access 2024 #4, Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Viquipèdia: Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família

1977 · Passion towers: The four Passion towers, of James the Less, Bartholomew, Thomas and Philip, are finished together with the leaning-column portico. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Basílica: Quadern 4, Basílica: història del temple

1978 · The nave walls: In 1978 work starts on the outer walls of the side aisles, which slowly join the two façades along the sides. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Basílica: història del temple, Wikipedia: Etsuro Sotoo, Viquipèdia: Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família

1986 · Subirachs and the nave: Jordi Bonet i Armengol directs the works from 1985, and in 1986 the foundations and columns of the nave begin. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Basílica: Booklet 7, Passió, Wikipedia: Josep Maria Subirachs

1996 · The side-aisle vaults: Gaudí's branching double-twist columns are now cut by numerically controlled robots from 3D models. Sources: Basílica: Booklet 9, interior, Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Wikipedia: Mark Burry

2000 · The central nave closes: In 2000 the central nave vault closes at 45 m: for the first time the roof joins the Passion to the Nativity. Sources: Basílica: Booklet 9, interior, Cranes & Access 2024 #4

2002 · The Schools move: The Schools stood where the Glory façade will be. Sources: Viquipèdia: Escoles de la Sagrada Família, Wikipedia: Sagrada Família

2010 · Consecration: In 2010 the whole interior is roofed, with the apse's hyperboloid vault at 75 m. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Basílica: Booklet 9, interior

2016 · The Mother Crane and the central towers: In 2012 the Mother Crane arrives, a Potain MD560B of 25 t and 141 m under the hook, standing on the structure at 67 m, and Jordi Faulí succeeds Bonet as director architect. Sources: Cranes & Access 2024 #4, Basílica: Booklet 3, Viquipèdia: Jordi Faulí, Basílica: Quadern 2, Breu història, Basílica: Quadern 4, Basílica: Booklet 10, torres

2020 · Above the bell towers… then the pandemic: In 2019 the central towers pass 100 m and overtake the façade bell towers, and on 7 June the city grants the first building licence, 137 years after the first stone. Sources: Blog de la Basílica: torres centrals 2019, El Nacional: els Evangelistes passen dels 100 m, CNN: la Sagrada Família obté el permís, New Atlas: 136 anys tard, la llicència, Wikipedia: Sagrada Família

2023 · Mary and the four Evangelists: Between 2021 and 2023 five central towers are crowned. Sources: La Vanguardia: coronació de la torre de Maria, Basílica: inaugurada la torre de la Mare de Déu, El Periódico: s'il·luminen Marc i Lluc, Wikipedia: Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia, Basílica: culminen les torres de Mateu i Joan, La Vanguardia: culminen Mateu i Joan, Basílica: la torre de Jesucrist a 135 m

2026 · The world's tallest church: The Jesus Christ tower goes from 142.5 m in December 2024 to 155.58 m in July 2025, the tallest building in Barcelona; on 27 October the lower arm of the cross, at 162.91 m, overtakes Ulm Minster. Sources: Basílica: una creu que arriba al cel, Wikipedia: Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia, Vatican News: la creu de la torre de Jesucrist, Basílica: benedicció de la torre de Jesucrist, Wikipedia: visita de Lleó XIV a Espanya

2027 · The Glory starts to rise: Forecast: in September 2026 the Building Board said the Glory side towers would start within months and the eight Beatitude columns within a year. Sources: COPE: la Sagrada Família i la Glòria, Libertad Digital: la Glòria a l'espera, Dondego: es frena l'acord, Basílica: Booklet 8, Glòria

2034 · The Glory façade: Forecast: the Glory's structure, with the four towers of Andrew, Peter, Paul and James the Greater (113–120 m) and the narthex, finished around 2033–2035. Sources: 3Cat: la façana de la Glòria en 10 anys, El Nacional: comencen les obres de la Glòria, Basílica: Booklet 8, Glòria, COPE: la Sagrada Família i la Glòria

2035 · The Glory staircase: Projection with indicative years: no stage has an official date and the deal with the city is left until after the 2027 elections. Sources: Basílica: Quadern 8, la façana de la Glòria, betevé: fins on es va arribar en mandats anteriors, Infobae / EFE: els veïns veuen lluny un pacte (04-10-2026), betevé: l'escalinata no és de Gaudí (informe del 1976)

2040 · The 1976 Plan promenade: Hypothetical, with no date or sponsor: the 1976 General Metropolitan Plan, still in force, zones the two blocks between Mallorca and Aragó as green so the Glory can be seen from the Diagonal. Sources: Ara: Barcelona dissenya una gran plaça davant la Sagrada Família (2025), Ara: l'hora de la veritat per a l'escalinata (2026), arqxarq: vuit maneres d'acabar la Sagrada Família (2013), Dirección General del Catastro: edificis INSPIRE

SourcesBasílica de la Sagrada Família: quaderns i booklets, Basílica de la Sagrada Família: història del temple, Júlia Gómez Ramió: Los pináculos de la Sagrada Familia (tesi, UPC 2015), OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Dirección General del Catastro: edificis INSPIRE, Arxiu Municipal de Barcelona: plànol Martorell (1928–1933), Cranes & Access 2024 #4: les grues de la Sagrada Família, Wikimedia Commons: Sagrada Família, Viquipèdia: Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, Basílica: Quadern 8, la façana de la Glòria, Ara: l'hora de la veritat per a l'escalinata (2026), betevé: l'escalinata en mandats anteriors, ICGC: model digital del terrenyChronotopia needs JavaScript and WebGL.

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