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Album: By Country | By Date Spain 2 | December 2000 < Prev: Around Barcelona | Next: Barcelona to Monaco >

December 2000 - Gaudi's Sagrada Familia In Barcelona

Under construction, modernist cathedral (following an essentially gothic pattern) was the coolest and most thought-provoking church we've seen.

First look at the church about 50 feet from the metro we got our first glimpse and just had to stop and stare for a bit What we were staring at The nativity door looks like a cascade of liquid stone. It's topped by a green christmas tree with white marble doves circling it. The sculptures are realistic and sensitive
The passion door (on one end of the transept; the nativity door is on the other) is much more "modern." The sculptures are sharper and harsher and very appropriate Check out the rectangle filled with numbers to the left of the figures. Get it? The sculptures tell the story in groups. This is in the center. But this is not the final one. The drawings show a bridge between the towers on this side, like the bridge on the other side. On that bridge, the drawings show a risen christ. close up of sculpture on the passion facade
The partly completed nave The nave again. The nativity facade is stone and was completed in Gaudi's lifetime. The nave was designed by Gaudi. The columns and capitals are based on helicoids and elipsoids. They're meant to look like a forest. Now, there's a good deal of cement and rebar being used. Sculptures on the nativity facade At the base of the nativity facade - some unusual creatures
The stairs up the towers Some more of the unusual creatures found in the cathedral The tops of some of the towers The very top of the nativity tower. (At first we thought the place had been decorated for Christmas!)
Seeing the construction was thought-provoking. Building something like this seem hard enough with rebar and cement and giant cranes. How did they ever build gothic cathedrals More construction. The rounded section topped by towers is the apse Strange creature in church Detail of finished part
Towers. The tallest spires aren't yet built Rose window with what looks like modern stained glass! Maggie in the tower stairway.