The world's unique church wonder, built for 140 years and still not finished, is stunningly magnificent

The Sagrada Familia is considered an enduring symbol of Barcelona. Although this wonder is still unfinished, it is still recognized by Unesco as a world heritage site.

Sagrada Familia is a large Catholic church in the Catalan region, with an architectural style that combines traditional Gothic and modern Art Nouveau designed by architect Antoni Gaudí.

Construction began in 1882, but 140 years later, the church is still unfinished. It is expected that this masterpiece will be completed in 2026, on the 100th anniversary of Antoni Gaudí's death.

This construction project is of a grand scale, expected to be 170m high, 60m wide, and 90m long. This basilica has 18 towers, 3 facades, and many chapels with a capacity of up to 9,000 people, uniquely, delicately, and meticulously designed.

Inside the church is a large space with many tall pillars forming deep, continuous curved ceilings.

Gaudí died in 1926. His apprentices took over the project. But Gaudí never left a complete plan for the building, and that was a serious problem.

To solve this problem, in 1979, Mark Burry (29 years old) from New Zealand, together with his partner Jane Burry, developed a mathematical system to aid the design process. This system not only accurately matched the shape that Gaudí had built, but could also predict how he would develop other parts of the church.

In July 1988, Burry's team purchased the first CNC machine - computer-controlled machinery - from a Dutch company. In 1990, the first piece of stone carved by a robot was installed in the basilica.

Over the past two centuries, the construction team has added a variety of digital tools to research designs and test how to build this basilica.

There are many reasons why the Sagrada Familia took so many years to complete, such as the Spanish Civil War or the project relying on ticket sales and private donations to continue construction and completion.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 26 May 2025