See Gaudi’s Famous Sagrada Familia Completed in Impressive Visualisation

Ambitious is an understatement when it comes to the infamously ongoing construction of Antoni Gaudí’s famous basilica, Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona. Eighty-seven years have passed since the death of the Catalan virtuoso. During this time, a subsequent nine architects have continued the project, striving to adhere to Gaudi's original vision.

However, according to the current chief architect, Jordi Fauli, the basilica will be completed by 2026. And even more excitingly, the Sagrada Familia Foundation has released a computer-generated glimpse into what the finished product will look like.

Each architect who has taken on this eccentric masterpiece has encountered a unique set of challenges. One of the central problems was the destruction of Gaudi’s workshop, containing the building plans and models, during the Spanish Civil War. This resulted in a slow process of piecing together the essential details of the project. There's also the issue of decoding Gaudi’s highly unorthodox method of design. Rarely putting pen to paper, he created 3D scale models, moulding his uncanny inventions as he conceived them.

Gaudi famously stated, "my client is not in a hurry," and clearly there is no substitute for perfection. You have to admire the commitment of a man who put so much faith in engineering technologies that hadn’t been invented yet. It is only recently that the special lightweight concrete cladding has been developed to complete the uppermost spires.

To comprehend the scope of this magnificent structure really demands a visit to Barcelona. It is all too easy to whittle away the daylight hours inside this basilica, admiring the kaleidoscopic effect of light filtering in through stained glass windows or Gaudi’s distinctive organic structures blossoming like flowers across an impossibly intricate ceiling.

Will the endless construction come to a close by 2026? Only time will tell.

Via Gizmodo and My Modern Met.