A few months ago a video rendering made the rounds on the internet showing what the Sagrada Familia would look like in 2026. Back in 2009 I was fortunate to get a tour of the site. I feel conflicted about the completion of the project. Gaudi’s plans are followed like scripture, with interesting decisions and interpretations required to move from partial sketch to realized building. The new concrete is noticeably whiter than the original stone, as a nod towards differentiating the old and the new. “In the 1960s, a group of architects including Le Corbusier and Alvar Aalto signed a petition advocating for the Sagrada Familia to remain unfinished or to be completed with a new design by a living architect” –BlouinArtInfo. I remember hearing someone (Rem Koolhaas? Salvador Dali?) advocate for a glass dome to be built around the half finished basilica. The most interesting part of the tour was the glimpse at the workshop and various models.
Adam Achrati 