Vertigo in the La Sagrada Familia (Gaudi)

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Ask nearly anyone to tell you what they know about Barcelona the least common denominators you usually always get are the Summer Olympics (Photos Coming) and that there is a church that’s still under construction more that a hundred years after work started, and if the person is exceptionally knowledgeable they may give you the architect name (Guadi) and the name of the church (La Sagrada Familia).

Aside from the thought of warmer weather I was drawn to Barcelona to see firsthand Guadi’s work, including the Sagrada Familia. I was not disappointed on either account. The following photos are just a few of the multiplicity of snapshots I took of the basilica.

The building is very much a construction site. Tower cranes picking loads, manlifts zipping up and down, the smell of fresh concrete strong in the air, the buzz of wood and concrete saws, pounding of hammers and all the general comings and goings associated with a multiyear multimillion dollar construction project.

A word of warning. If you at all have a problem with heights do not attempt to climb the towers. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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Photos

The La Sagrada Familia
Barcelona’s large (understatement) Roman Catholic basilica that is not a cathedral has been under construction for nearly 125 years. The original design is by Antoni Gaudi is rich with Christian symbolism and ritual.

Entry Portal
Sculptural Style Unlike Any Other that I’d Seen on Similar Centers of Worship. Work not by Guadi

Tower of Terror from the Outside
See the following two photos to get an idea of what it was like climbing/descending the spire.

Looking Up
In this tower the stair was 24 inches accross. The interior and exterior structural walls were punched with these large voids that again made me wonder what it would be like to loose my balance and slip into the void.