Antoni Gaudi was one of the most
important architects of modernity, he was so innovative in his structural design
as well as in his way of conceiving buildings, using technics that no other
architect had ever before used, and making buildings that resembled
the characteristics of nature. Gaudi designed many private and public
constructions, most of which are located in the city of Barcelona, in Spain, but his
biggest work, and probably the most important, was the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia.
He worked for more than 40 years in the project, which was commissioned when he was 31 years old,
and he would work on it until his death in 1926. The Sagrada Familia is still
under construction, but here, you can see what the completed temple
will look like, just as Gaudi intended it. The architect joined the project in 1883. At the time, the only work that had been
started was on the columns in the crypt. Gaudi started out with a plan
for a Gothic Revival church, although he gradually incorporated
his own innovative building solutions. At a glance we can see that the
building has a pyramidal structure. With this shape, the architect hoped to suggest
the connection between the human and the divine. Three of the elevations have towers, while
the fourth presents a semi-circular shape. This is the apse. Therefore, the temple has three façades, each dedicated to a key moment
in the life of Jesus Christ: his birth, his death and his eternal life. The exterior of the building is
an authentic "Bible of stone". The Sagrada Familia is inspired by
the Gospels and aims to convey the spirit of the Christian faith to
people from all over the world. When completed, there will be a total of 18 towers that will create an impressive
sensation of verticality. Nine of them have already been completed: four on the East façade and
four on the West façade, as well as the one in the top of the apse. The central tower will be the tallest of them all, and it will be dedicated to Jesus Christ. Four towers will surround it,
honoring the four Evangelists. The tower on the top of the apse is the second
tallest, and it’s dedicated to Virgin Mary. The remaining 12 towers will be dedicated to the
12 apostles, four on each of the three façades. This is the Nativity Façade, dedicated
to the Birth of Jesus and his early life. With this exuberant representation of nature, Gaudi wanted to express the joy of
creation at the advent of the Son of God. If you look closely, you will see that the
façade is divided into three triangular portals, each of which is dedicated to a member
of the Holy Family, or Sagrada Familia. The one on the left, known as the Portal
of Hope, is dedicated to Saint Joseph. On the right we have the Portal of
Faith, dedicated to Virgin Mary, and in the middle is the Portal of
Charity, dedicated to Jesus Christ. If you look up, at the top of the
structure you will see a cypress tree. This is the tree of life, a symbol
of hospitality and eternity. The white doves on its branches represent
the souls that have attained salvation. You can see how the towers have many holes. Their main purpose is to project
the sound of the bells inside. Gaudi, envisioned the Sagrada Familia
as if it were a musical instrument, a huge organ whose music would
be heard throughout the city. On top of the tower, the pinnacles
are covered with colorful mosaics, using a technique invented
by Gaudi called trencadís. You can see this technique
in most of Gaudi’s buildings. The pinnacles depict the attributes of a bishop:
a miter with a cross, a crozier and a ring. The construction surrounding
the basilica is the cloister, which serves as a space that communicates
the facades, the sacristies and the chapels. This is the only façade that the
architect saw completed before dying. Knowing that it would be impossible
for him to finish the project, he wanted this façade to serve as a guide for those who would continue
the work after his demise. If we get closer we can see all the
details and sculptures of the façade. Right on top of the column,
we find the Birth of Jesus, the main theme from which
the façade takes its name. The group reproduces the image of
the traditional nativity scene: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, with an ox and a donkey. To the right, we see the shepherds
who have come to adore the Child. On the opposite side, the three
Magi are shown bearing gifts. And above the nativity scene,
surrounded by musical angels, is the star that guided them on
their journey from the far East. At the bottom of the left portal, there’s
Mary riding a donkey with Jesus in her arms, and Joseph standing by her side. This image represents the Holy
Family's flight into Egypt. In the opposite side at the right portal, we find an image of Jesus as he
works in his father's workshop. Gaudi worked with real models, people
from the neighborhood and even members of his own team to achieve a
great realism in these figures. He used plaster molds to create his stone statues. Right in the central portal there are two
turtles supporting the portal columns, the one on the left, which is the
side closest to the sea, has fins, and the one on the right, closer to the mountains,
is a land turtle, so it has legs instead. In Gaudi’s original project,
this façade had to be polychrome, the archivolts of the three
porticoes in rich colors; all the statues would have been painted, human
and animal figures, as well as the vegetation. However, up until now this
decoration has not been carried out, for the only color that you
see is on the cypress tree. The doors are the creation
of a Japanese sculptor who has been working on the temple for over 40 years. The artist also created some of the
sculptures that adorn this façade. To make the doors blend in
with their surroundings, he filled them with many different
species of plants and insects. It is now time to explore
the interior of the temple. Only walking through the doors
is an amazing experience, for you are struck with all sorts of sensations,
and a beautiful play of space, light and color. Something very interesting about this
church is that there are no chapels in the aisles as most churches of this size do, and there’s also very few statues
and images in the interior. That’s because the protagonist
here is the space itself. The images and sculptural representations
are located on the outside of the temple, and they tell the story of the life of Jesus. The architect designed this interior
as if it were a huge forest. Nature is an essential
influence in the work of Gaudi, so much so that he came to
consider it his true master, that’s why all of his buildings are so colorful,
and they have all these organic shapes, as there are no straight lines in nature. Notice that the columns
look like trees, and above, they spread out like branches,
reaching up to the ceiling. This structure is not merely aesthetic, for the "branches" are actually
supporting the vaulted ceiling. The solution allows the building to reach a great height without the need for
the exterior reinforcements characteristic of medieval cathedrals. The combination of aesthetics and efficiency
is a defining element of Gaudi's structures. The basilica could be described
as a "temple of light". The light pours abundantly through the large
windows and the skylights set into the vaults. When you look up, you can see how the branches
blend into the vaults, and it seems as though the vaults are the treetops, and you can even
see glimpses of the sky through the leaves. Notice the different colors
of the stained-glass windows. Those on the Nativity Façade,
that is, the east façade, feature shades of blue and cooler tones
in keeping with the morning light. In contrast, the west-facing windows
on the other side are warmer, with the red and orange tones of a sunset. These stained-glass windows
form part of the Passion Façade. The stained-glass windows are the
work of artist Joan Vila-Grau, who followed the guidelines established by Gaudi, and on their surface are
written the names of saints and important shrines from all over the world. The tallest and thickest columns in the
temple, are the four columns in the crossing, they are made of porphyry,
an extremely hard stone. When the temple is finished, these columns will support the tower of
Jesus Christ with a height of 172 meters. Gaudi wanted the tallest tower to be slightly
lower than the nearby mountain of Montjuic. He is quoted as saying that the work of
man should never surpass the work of God. On the upper sections of the columns,
there are nodes with symbols. Each column is dedicated to
one of the four Evangelists. The lion is the symbol for Mark; the angel is for Matthew; the bull is a symbol for Luke; and the eagle is for John. They get their symbols by
the way their Gospel starts. As in a real forest, here we
find a variety of tree species. Notice the subtle differences in color,
thickness and texture of the many columns. They are made of various materials,
depending on the weight they must support. As I mentioned, the four red columns
in the crossing, are made of porphyry, and will eventually hold up
the tallest and heaviest tower. The dark grey columns are made of basalt,
while the light grey columns are granite, and the columns in the
aisles are made of sandstone. Inside the temple, we find further
references to the Holy Family. Just below the crossing, on the floor, is a mosaic
with the initials of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Above the door of the Nativity Façade,
there’s a sculpture dedicated to Saint Joseph. And on the opposite side, above the door of the
Passion Façade, is a statue of the Virgin Mary. And in the center above the altar,
is the image of the crucified Christ. Above the figure is a large suspended baldachin, inspired by the one Gaudi designed
for the Cathedral of Mallorca. It is decorated with wheat and grapes,
symbolizing the bread and wine of the Eucharist. Fifty lamps illuminate the
space in allusion to Pentecost, which commemorates the descent of
the Holy Spirit upon the apostles 50 days after Christ's resurrection. Over this baldachin, there is a
golden tringle below the apse vault, which represents God the Creator. It is set in a skylight
shaped like two hyperboloids, designed to catch sunlight on one
side and disseminate it on the other. You can see several examples of
this shape along the ceiling. If we look at the ground plan, you can see
that the temple has a Latin-cross plan, as usual in Gothic cathedrals. The transept runs from the Nativity Façade to
the Passion Façade, and it’s 60 meters long. The nave extends from the Glory Façade
to the apse and it is 90 meters long. As I said before, the cloister
surrounds the entire basilica. This makes it possible to hold
processions inside without having to exit the building or cross the nave and aisles. This was a problem in Gothic cathedrals. In addition, with this solution the space of the church can occupy most of
the block on which it stands. The basilica has a central nave
and two aisles on either side, and there’s a proportional
relationship between them. The distance between each column
in the aisles is 7.5 meters. If we double this number, we get
the width of the nave: 15 meters. And if we double this number again, the
result is the height of the aisles: 30 meters. The central nave rises to a height of 45
meters, which is another multiple of 7.5. The galleries on top of the
aisles, are reserved for the choir. You can see dark dots scattered
across the railings representing musical notes in the scores of liturgical hymns. This is the interior of the Glory Façade, which celebrates the eternal life brought
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Once the building is completed, this will
be the main entrance to the basilica. It was Gaudi's wish that the entrance be located
on the side of the temple that faces the sea. These are the main doors of
the temple, made of bronze, they are the work of sculptor
Josep Maria Subirachs. In the center, the Lord's Prayer
has been written in Catalan. And all around it, the following phrase has
been translated into 50 different languages: "Give us this day our daily bread." With this message, the Sagrada Familia welcomes
all its visitors, no matter where they come from. Over the doors, we see a warrior-like figure. This sculpture, is a representation of
Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia. To the right of the main entrance,
there a plaque that commemorates the consecration of the basilica
by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. The Glory Façade is in a fairly
early stage of construction, there is only the naked skeleton of the columns
arriving at a height of about 10 meters. As you can see the main doors of the basilica
are in a much higher plane than the street level. This is a challenge because there is very little
space between the entrance and the sidewalk. To be able to give an adequate entrance
to the temple, Gaudi designed a flight of steps over Mallorca street, in such a way that
all the traffic will have to pass underneath, and the stairs should reach the opposite block. Just like the other three façades,
this one will have four bell towers. The Baptistery and the Chapel of the
Sacrament will be in each side of the façade, parallel to the Sacristies
on the back of the temple. The most spectacular element of the assembly, will
be some constructions shaped as clouds that will be located on 16 large hyperboloid-shaped
lanterns with a cone on the top: the lower seven will represent
the days of the creation, and the upper nine, the angelic hierarchies. These clouds will have enormous
inscriptions of the Creed in Latin “Credo in unum Deum Patrem
Omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae”. These clouds will surround an image of God. This is the apse of the basilica. There
are seven chapels along the corridor. Towards the altar, at floor
level, there are several windows. Down there is the crypt, the
oldest part of the temple. Thanks to these openings, Gaudi managed to make the natural light
of the basilica, reach the underground. The crypt of the Sagrada Familia contains the
tomb of the temple's creator: Antoni Gaudi. When Gaudi died after being hit by a tram, thousands of people escorted his coffin
here from the Barcelona Cathedral. Gaudi worked on the basilica for 43 years, focusing exclusively on this project
for the final 12 years of his life, and so he wished to be buried here. This crypt and the Nativity Façade are the only parts of the temple that
the architect lived to see completed. In the doors of the Passion Façade, made
by the same artist as the main doors, you can see texts from the Gospels
that narrate the Passion of the Christ. This is the most dramatic
façade of the Sagrada Familia: the one that represents the
Passion of Jesus Christ. On the far left, we see a group of
sculptures that represent the Last Supper. Right next to it there’s a
figure of a dog lying down. The dog is a symbol of loyalty,
which is shattered by betrayal, which is represented to the right by
the figure of Judas kissing Jesus. If we continue, we find between the
two doors the scourging of Christ. Further to the right we come across Saint Peter,
grieving after denying his master three times, and further, there’s Pontius Pilate
meditating on what to do with Jesus, seen at his side wearing the crown of
thorns and flanked by two Roman soldiers. If you look to the left, nearly
in the middle of the façade, there’s Jesus carrying the cross
as he walks up the Calvary. All the way to the left, just
above the image of Longinus, the soldier that pierced the side of Jesus, we can see three seated figures. These are
the soldiers playing dice for Jesus’ clothes. And if we turn again to the right,
right in the center of the façade, we find the image of Jesus crucified. On top of the bridge that links the two
central towers, a golden figure stands out. It represents Jesus in heaven,
after the resurrection, so as despairing as it is, this façade
also contains a message of hope. All the figures on this façade
were made by Josep Maria Subirachs. The late artist worked on the temple for nearly
20 years and enriched it with his personal style. However, he was always keenly aware of
his role in carrying on the work of Gaudi, and he strove to honor the
architect in various sculptures. The Roman soldiers, for example, are
not wearing typical Roman helmets, but helmets inspired by
the chimneys at La Pedrera, another building that Gaudi
built in the city of Barcelona. In this same group, on the left, we
find an even more obvious reference. The sculptor gave one of the Evangelists
the face of the architect himself. Also, there’s a square to the left
of the sculpture of Judas' kiss. It's a magic square. If you add up
any of the lines in any direction, the sum is always 33, Jesus'
age at the time of his death. Gaudi drew what he wanted
this façade to look like. He wanted to reflect Christ's
Passion and capture his pain. Look at the enormous leaning columns that frame
the entrance. They look like tensed muscles, and the small columns above like ribs. In the words of the architect himself, this
façade should be "hard, bare, as if made of bones” Remember the Nativity Façade. It’s a great
contrast between the exuberance of it, and the austerity of the Passion Façade. Next to the cloister is the Sacristy, which you can identify by the shape of
its dome and its triangular windows. This is where priests prepare and dress for mass, and where the objects used during
liturgical ceremonies are kept. On the pinnacles you can see fruit baskets
made of ceramic and pieces of glass. The freestanding brick building to the
right houses the Sagrada Familia schools. Gaudi designed it for the sons and
daughters of the temple workers. Its form drew praise from prominent architects
of the 20th century such as Le Corbusier. Gaudi devoted much of his life to
the construction of this masterpiece. In his final months, he even lived in it. However, he knew quite well that he would
not live to see the temple completed. This explains why he left behind
so many models and drawings, so that those who would continue his work,
would have some instructions to guide them. Since Gaudi's death, many people have invested
their time, effort and talent in the project. The Sagrada Familia is one man's dream, but
it is also very much a collective effort. You can see in this model the
finished parts of the church in white. The Sagrada Familia has been in
construction for over 140 years, and for a while it was intended
to be finished in 2026, just 100 years after the death of Gaudi, however, because of the COVID-19 pandemic,
work had to be suspended for over a year, and now that date seems unlikely. Thank you so much for watching, I
really hope you learned something. Please leave a like in this
video, subscribe to my channel, and if you’d like to support me on
Patreon I will appreciate it so much. Thank you so much and I'll see you very soon. Goodbye!
