The Junk Drawer

18 Towers by fleur_de_lis

La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain One of my favorite works of architecture just happens to be La Sagrada Familia, an unfinished Catholic Basilica that has been in the making since 1882. The lead architect was Antoni Gaudi, a man inspired by strong religious and nationalist feelings. La Sagrada became his work for over 40 years, with Gaudi at times living as a virual hermit in a workshop on the site. After his unexpected death in 1926 (he was run over by a tram) construction continued for a time, was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, and didn't resume until the 1950's. Today's plans for completion are a mixture of old plans and modern adaptations under the direction of Jordi Bonet i Armengol, and still the work is not progressing much faster than it did under Gaudi! Speculations on completion dates range anywhere from 2017-2041. La Sagrada Familia is a beautiful example of Gaudi's Art Nouveau architecture and is full of religious symbolism and meaning. Some of the...