Sagrada Família: Completion of the Tower of Christ

(eap) With the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, which remains under construction to this day, Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí left behind what is arguably his most significant legacy in the Modernisme style. He had dedicated the final years of his life to it before he died on 10 June 1926. The Sagrada Família is often described as a “Bible in stone”: an expiatory temple in which faith, art, architecture, light and nature enter into dialogue with one another and are intended to make the Christian message tangible to the senses.

On Wednesday, the centenary of Gaudí’s death, the completion of the central tower on the basilica was now concluded, making it, with a total height of 172.5 metres, the tallest church in the world. Pope Leo XIV blessed the Tower of Jesus Christ as part of a festive ceremony attended by high-ranking religious representatives, the Spanish royal couple, the executive president of the foundation responsible for construction, conservation and restoration, Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, political office-holders and more than 8,000 other guests in and in front of the basilica.

Pope Leo XIV blessed the Tower of Jesus Christ of the Sagrada Família in the presence of thousands of worshippers, visitors and guests. © Basilica de la Sagrada Familia/Manuel Queimadelos The Tower of Jesus Christ, which was realised under the direction of architect Jordi Faulí, now forms the centre of the basilica’s ensemble of towers. It is surrounded by the four towers of the Evangelists, all of which are accessible via bridges, as well as by the Tower of the Virgin Mary. The latter has been connected internally with the Tower of Christ, whose construction began on 16 October 2018 at a height of 85 metres. The Tower of Christ is crowned by a three-dimensional, four-armed cross clad in glass and white glazed ceramic.

After the Holy Mass and blessing of the tower, this structural milestone in the history of the Sagrada Família, which is expected to be fully completed in 2035, was celebrated with a large fireworks display, light projections and a drone show. A large number of drones created an image of Gaudí’s face in Barcelona’s night sky and also formed the lettering “Primero el amor, después la técnica” (Eng.: “First love, then technique”). The drone show was staged by the Spanish company Flock Drone Art, which had previously created other programmes in the city and regularly realises drone shows in numerous other cities, for brands and events.

Further commemorative events marking the centenary of Gaudí’s death will take place in the coming months. The programme, which is equipped with an entirely patronage-funded budget totalling 3.2 million euros, comprises a total of 31 events that already began in autumn 2025 and will continue until Christmas this year. Also involved is Casa Batlló, among others, a distinctive building on Passeig de Gràcia originally conceived by Gaudí as a residential building, which today functions as a visitor attraction and is currently hosting the special programme “Casa Batlló Contemporary” (see EAP News of 25 Feb 2026). ■