RendervsReality

Archive Barcelona, Spain

Phase incomplete

Sagrada Familia

Carrer de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona, Spain

Antoni Gaudí died in 1926 with the basilica only partly built, and later architects have reconstructed his intent from surviving material. The six central towers were completed in 2026, but the Glory Facade and other work remain; the basilica does not have a confirmed overall completion date.

What got built

Current photograph of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
Photograph by Reda Kerbush, 2025-01-16. Source. CC BY-SA 4.0.

This photograph was verified against the project and published with recorded first-party, public-domain, or reusable-license rights. How the visual evidence works.

What changed

  • Antoni Gaudi took over the Sagrada Familia project in 1883 and worked on it until his death in 1926, by which point construction was roughly 15 to 25 percent complete by most published estimates.
  • Gaudi's original drawings and plaster models were largely destroyed by fire during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Successive architects have worked from surviving fragments, photographs, and reconstructed models to continue construction to his design intent.
  • In February 2026, the cross was completed on the 172.5-meter Tower of Jesus Christ. That milestone completed the six central towers; it did not complete every exterior tower, facade, or the basilica as a whole.
  • The Glory Facade and other works remain under construction. Official 2026 material lists completion of the basilica as date to be determined, so the earlier 2027-2028 finishing window is not presented as an overall completion forecast.

Why there is nothing to explain

There is no single rendering being compared to a finished building here. The basilica has been under continuous construction toward Gaudi's design since 1883, delayed for over a century by his 1926 death, the loss of his original plans in 1936, and reliance on private donations and ticket revenue rather than a fixed construction budget or schedule.

Details

Status
Partly delivered, still in design, or revised before construction.
Where
Barcelona, Spain
Neighborhood
Eixample
Developer
Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia (basilica foundation)
Architect
Antoni Gaudi (original design, construction from 1883 until his death in 1926); successive chief architects including Jordi Bonet i Armengol and Jordi Faulí have continued the work from reconstructed plans and models
Rendering credit
Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia, based on reconstructed models of Antoni Gaudi's design
The built result
Photographed by Reda Kerbush, 2025-01-16

Sources

  1. ArchDaily: Sagrada Familia On Track to Be Completed in 2026 archdaily.com
  2. Dezeen: Sagrada Familia announces 2026 final completion date dezeen.com
  3. Vatican News: Central tower of Sagrada Familia completed vaticannews.va
  4. Sagrada Família Foundation: 2026 history and completion booklet (PDF) sagradafamilia.org
  5. Sagrada Família: official site and construction updates sagradafamilia.org

Research checked . Status and figures are updated when a source changes.

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