barcelona’s sagrada familia set to be completed in 2026, in time for antoni gaudí’s centenary

Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia may reach its completion in 2026

Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia may finish the construction of its main parts in 2026, in time for the centennial death anniversary of the church’s master architect, Antoni Gaudí. After this, constructing the other parts of the church (more on this below) might still continue for up to ten more years. On March 20th, 2024, the Sagrada Familia held a press conference in Spain to present its 2023 annual report. The officials mentioned that the final stage of finishing Sagrada Familia’s construction already kicked off with the completion of the towers of the Evangelists back in November 2023. Moving forward, the Chapel of the Assumption and the tower of Jesus Christ are expected to be completed next, the former in 2025 and the latter in 2026, with no specific dates yet.

images courtesy of Basílica de la Sagrada Família, via Facebook (unless stated)

During the press conference, Esteve Camps, Executive Chairman of the Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Família; Xavier Martínez, General Director of the Sagrada Família, and Jordi Faulí, head architect, were present. They shared that after a break in 2020 due to COVID-19’s restrictions, the progress of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia picked up, regardless of the increase in construction costs from 43 percent in 2022 to 52 percent in 2023. These numbers may not be hindering the completion date of the church in 2026 since, in terms of financial numbers, the Sagrada Família finished 2023 with income of 126.9 million EUR, all funds coming from private sources, with 52 percent of it going to construction and 26 percent to the church’s management.

Sagrada Familia may finish construction in 2026, in time for the centennial death anniversary Antoni Gaudí

Sagrada Familia faces staircase controversy

Amidst the completion of the main parts of the church, the Sagrada Familia committee is moving forward with the construction of the stairway in the Glory Facade that is expected to serve as the main entrance to the church, right on Mallorca Street. In an El Pais report, Esteve Camps gave a heads-up in the press conference that the construction board did not renounce Antoni Gaudí’s original project, referring to the stairway as part of the master architect’s native design for the Sagrada Familia. The report states that constructing the main entrance will force the demolition of around 3,000 neighboring apartments and establishments and the eviction of more than 1,000 families.

the construction of the Chapel of the Assumption is set to be completed in 2025

In a euronews report, lawyer Salvador Barroso gave insights for the Association for those Affected by the Sagrada Familia, a local protest group. He said that the stairway was never part of Antoni Gaudí’s blueprint and that it was designed by the predecessors of the master architect after his death in 1926. A La Vanguardia report states that Esteve Camps and the Fundació Sagrada Família are set to speak with the City Council to negotiate the construction of the staircase, but that he is sure they will reach an agreement. He adds in the news that in ten years time, Sagrada Familia could be finished after the last main part that would be built in 2026, but says that this could depend on the administration, referring to the decision of the local government to permit the construction of the stairway.

recent construction timeline of sagrada familia

Over the recent years, Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia has been pieced together progressively, leading to its projected completion date in 2026 as a way, and rightful, way to celebrate Antoni Gaudí’s centenary. In 2021, the Sagrada Família inaugurated the tower of the Virgin Mary in Barcelona alongside the first lighting of its star. In 2022, two of the four towers of the Evangelists, Luke and Mark, were completed, and in December of the same year, the pinnacles of their towers were lit for the first time.

It was in November 2023 when the Sagrada Família inaugurated the four towers of the Evangelists in Barcelona. Today, they surround the tower of Jesus Christ and are the third tallest towers of the Temple, standing 135 meters tall. Together with the tower of the Virgin Mary, five of the six central towers have been completed, while the central tower of Jesus Christ is scheduled for completion in 2026.