Sagrada Família unveils prototype of tallest viewpoint in Barcelona

Barcelona's most famous building, the unfinished Sagrada Família Basilica, is preparing to crown its tallest tower: the Tower of Jesus Christ. At the top, there will be a 17-meter cross that will include a viewpoint, making it the tallest in the city.

The construction team expects to finish the last part of the tower before 2025 and place the cross before 2026. The goal is to inaugurate the four-armed cross, made of ceramic and glass, in June 2026 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the death of Antoni Gaudí, the mastermind architect behind the basilica.

Although Gaudí was not the original architect of the building, he joined the project in 1883, a year after architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano laid the foundation stone. Now, over 140 years later, the construction team is preparing to crown the tallest tower of the basilica with a 100-ton cross that will light up at night.

"During the last months of 2024, we will be finishing the final parts of the tower's base," said Jordi Faulí, the head architect, during a press conference on Thursday. "At that time, we will begin work on the top section, which will resemble the towers already visible on the Nativity Façade."

Eleven people

Once opened after June 2026, the viewpoint will accommodate up to eleven people at a time, offering them views of Barcelona from the city's tallest building, as well as a unique perspective of the Sagrada Família from above.

The cross will have four arms and measure 17 meters in length and 13.5 meters in height. It will be constructed in sections, with the base and each arm built on the ground before being raised and assembled.

The lowest point of the cross will sit at 164 meters above sea level, with the highest reaching 172.5 meters. This height is the result of multiplying 7.5 meters by 23 and is intentionally shorter than Montjuïc mountain (173 meters), as Gaudí believed his creation should not surpass God's.

Glory Façade

Even though the Sagrada Família will soon reach its tallest point, it will not be fully completed, as there is still one more façade to construct.

The Glory Façade, which will serve as the basilica's main entrance, will be located on Carrer de Mallorca. The next step is to begin building eight columns that will form the base for four more towers dedicated to the apostles Andrew, Peter, Paul, and James the Great.

The workers expect the façade to be completed between 2032 and 2033. However, the main entrance will only be accessible via a large staircase that will bridge a four-meter height difference.

The issue is that the stairs are planned for an area where dozens of residents currently live. Their buildings would need to be demolished to make way for the staircase.

At present, no solution has been agreed upon, but the affected residents, the city council, and the basilica's management team are working together to find a resolution.

Listen to our Filling the Sink podcast episode to learn more about it.

Open door days

The Sagrada Família is opening its doors and offering 20,000 free tickets to celebrate La Mercè festival, Barcelona's largest public street party, in honor of its patron saint on September 24. 

The basilica opens its doors to the public each year for the festival to show off the current state of the works, but this year, the open doors program has been extended across four days, from September 21-24.

66,580 people joined the lottery to get one of the 20,000 free tickets.