"Whenever we face a relevant element, we first build a prototype," explains the chief architect of the Sagrada Família, Jordi Faulí, at the foot of the basilica. "It is fundamental," he continues, but interrupts himself. "One second," he excuses himself, as he quickly pulls his phone from his pocket and snaps a photo of the large prototype of part of one of the arms of the cross that will crown the temple: "There was an interesting reflection I had never seen before." He points to it to show it, but it has already vanished. Nothing unexpected, given that the changing appearance of the future cross will be one of its characteristic features.
And it is that the four-armed cross, weighing 100 tons and standing 17 meters high, will vary its appearance with light: it will be clad in glass and white enameled ceramic, which will become a new point of light in the city's skyline: by day, it will shine reflecting the sun; by night, it will have spotlights that will lightly illuminate the sky over the Sagrada Família.
The cross will be the highest point of the basilica, which will climb exactly to 172.5 meters. Thus, the total height of the temple will be in accordance with Antoni Gaudí's fixation on working on the basis of multiples of 7.5, a figure between seven, an earthly number, and eight, considered divine. The cross will top the tower of Jesus Christ, which will rise 23 times these 7.5 meters.
Building this cross-viewpoint will involve a very complex process that will require various materials and techniques. To anticipate eventual setbacks, it has been decided to create a full-scale prototype of one of the arms of the cross, called to be one of the most representative elements of the Sagrada Família. "Building the prototype has allowed us to detect problems that will no longer occur," details Faulí, who emphasizes that it is a very complex piece in which every detail counts, from the joints to the curvature of the ceramic and glass.
"Furthermore, building a prototype also represents a learning experience for assembly"; it is like a rehearsal, which is why they will also be built for various elements of the Glòria facade. Having this model also opens up possibilities such as observing crucial details for the expert eye, like the reflection of an unexpected ray of sun, and something more: it allows entry into the arm of the cross, giving an idea of the sensation that seeing Barcelona from the privileged and unique viewpoint will generate.
The prototype will be shown to visitors of the basilica during the open days that the temple has organized for the city's main festival, la Mercè. With 20,000 free tickets available for the four open days, more than 66,500 people participated in the contest to get one of them. The prototype, located in the materials courtyard next to the main entrance, can be distinguished through the grilles of Provença street, where some curious onlookers stop to observe a structure that may resemble a space artifact.
Crowning the Sagrada Família with the cross, however, will go beyond building one of its arms: first, the last panel of the Jesus Christ tower will be placed at the end of this year; then, the base on which the structure will rest will be pre-assembled, which will be lifted whole from Sardenya street. Then it will be the turn of the cross's core, and then the four arms will come, to finally place the upper arm of the cross at heights, a milestone scheduled for the end of 2025.
However, the process will not end here: afterwards will come the work inside the cross, to turn it into an extraordinary viewpoint of the city. The intention of the construction board is for the cross to be inaugurated for the centenary of Gaudí's death, in June 2026. However, it has not yet defined when or how this exceptional space will be opened to the public: its limited capacity, of 11 people, will make it an exclusive viewpoint.
Once the cross is installed as the final touch of the Sagrada Família, there will still be much to do to consider the temple finished. The basilica continues to advance in the construction of the Assumption Chapel, which is expected to be completed in 2025, and also in the roofs of the side naves, where four of its five sections have been completed. In 2025, the eight columns that will support the Glòria facade will be erected, and the second sacristy, the baptistery, and the chapel of Penance and the Sacrament will still be pending, among other spaces that are yet to take shape in the temple. From January to August, it has received 3.24 million visitors, 3% more than in the same period of 2023, as highlighted by Xavier Martínez, general director of the Basilica. Martínez took the opportunity to announce a new call for the Sagrada Família fund for social entities, which in its second edition grows by 50%, to 3.5 million euros.
The intention of the construction board is for the cross to be inaugurated for the centenary of Gaudí's death, in June 2026To maintain the pace of construction and to face all that is to come, the construction board dedicates more than half of its 130 million in revenue to building the temple.However, the question that comes to anyone's mind when talking about the Sagrada Família is not its budget —that too—, but when it will be finished. Nevertheless, this question still does not have a clear answer, especially after the pandemic swept away the forecast of finishing in 2026.
"Our wish is to finish it in 2032 or 2033," Martínez recalled, emphasizing that it is just that, a wish, and not a forecast or a commitment: "We have not yet set a completion date." And this wish leaves aside the controversial staircase projected on Mallorca street and incompatible with the apartment blocks that stand in front of the basilica. With or without the staircase, the big question remains unanswered, but with the certainty that the temple continues to advance.