This beautiful building in one of the most popular cities in the world has been left unfinished 142 years after construction began.
The famous Sagrada Familia is located in Barcelona, Spain, and first began construction in 1882. Since then, the Catholic Church has been passed between numerous architects, with work still yet to be completed.
The construction progressed slowly as it relied on private donations, partly being interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. Work eventually resumed in the 1950s, with advancements to technologies aiding architects in completing the project.
But some of its challenges still remain, with parts of the church left uncompleted. Plans to build five more spires, each symbolising an important figure in the Bible, further delayed construction.
A completion date of 2026 was further delayed during the pandemic, with some aspects now scheduled for completion by 2040.
Describing the Sagrada Família, art critic Rainer Zerbst said “it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art”.
Paul Goldberger describes it as “the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages”. And despite its construction still ongoing, it serves as a popular tourist attraction in the famous city.
According to a new report by the World, the next stage of the project could result in the demolition of nearby buildings. Francesc Pla, who owns a pharmacy in the endangered area, told the publication: “It’s like a sword hanging over our heads not knowing whether, or when, [we]’ll be kicked out.”
Pla is current the head of an association of concerned locals who are prepared to fight to defend their right to remain in the area.
So far, they have filed a lawsuit that claims the staircase was never part of the original architect’s plans, an argument that relies on a 1970s government memo making the same claim in order to justify the construction of an apartment complex on the site.