Sagrada Família

A large Roman Catholic basilica in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí and still under construction. Its architecture combines Gothic structure with forms inspired by nature.

Antoni Gaudí: A Catalan architect known for organic forms, intricate craftsmanship, and landmark buildings in Barcelona. He transformed the basilica’s design after taking over the project in 1883.
Branching column: A column whose upper shaft divides into branches to support multiple points in a ceiling or vault. Gaudí’s branching columns distribute vault loads while evoking a forest canopy.
Francisco de Paula del Villar: A Spanish architect who designed the original project for the Sagrada Família. His neo-Gothic scheme preceded Gaudí’s far more expansive redesign.
Nativity façade: The eastern façade of the Sagrada Família, depicting the birth and early life of Jesus. Gaudí completed much of this richly ornamented façade during his lifetime.
UNESCO World Heritage Site: A cultural or natural site recognized under the World Heritage Convention for outstanding universal value. UNESCO inscribed Gaudí’s Nativity façade and crypt, rather than the entire unfinished basilica.
Catalan Modernisme: A Catalan cultural movement around 1900 that reshaped architecture, art, and design. The basilica emerged from Barcelona’s Modernisme, though Gaudí gave it an intensely personal form.
Ruled surface: A surface formed by moving a straight line through space according to a defined path. Ruled geometry enabled complex-looking forms that could be laid out and built with straight elements.
Josep Maria Bocabella: A Catalan bookseller and Catholic activist who promoted the construction of the Sagrada Família. His religious association initiated the project and secured the site in Barcelona.
Passion façade: The western façade of the Sagrada Família, representing the suffering and death of Jesus. Its stark forms deliberately contrast with the Nativity façade’s exuberant decoration.
Barcelona: A major city in northeastern Spain and the capital of Catalonia. The basilica has become one of Barcelona’s defining landmarks and major visitor destinations.

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Spanish architectureBroader topic: Its organic forms demonstrate a distinctive Catalan response to modern architecture.