CONFERENCE: THE SAGRADA FAMILIA, AN ETERNAL BUILDING SITE?

La Sagrada Familia, the famous church in Barcelona, is still under construction, but this has not prevented it from being open to worship, nor from being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (a unique case for a building under construction!). In the early 1880s, the initial project was for a modest atonement temple, financed by donations from the faithful to atone for their sins. But Antoni Gaudí took charge of the project in 1888. His vision for the project went beyond architecture: he created a unique work of art, a "sculpture" inspired by nature, an extraordinary work of engineering and a veritable "mystical poem". An ambitious man, Gaudí himself knew that he would never see the building project through to completion. This talk retraces the history of this extraordinary building, explaining its symbolism, significance and place in the city of Barcelona.