Sagrada Família enters its most decisive phase: the challenge of the Glory façade

The Jesus Tower now crowns Barcelona’s skyline. Now, the Sagrada Família faces its most complex challenge: the Glory façade. The basilica is entering the final stretch of works that are transforming the city. What changes will this last stage bring?

Barcelona wakes today to a new silhouette on its horizon. The recently completed Jesus Tower makes the Sagrada Família the city’s tallest building and the tallest church in Europe. This architectural milestone not only redefines the skyline, but also marks the start of the final and most complex phase of construction on the basilica.

With the tower now visible from almost anywhere, all eyes are turning to the Glory façade on Carrer de Mallorca. This ambitious project, which has generated debate among residents and experts for years, represents the greatest construction challenge for the team responsible for completing Gaudí’s work. The scale of the intervention and its impact on mobility and the urban setting have residents and traders in the area on edge.

But the Glory façade is not the only open front. The Sagrada Família is also undertaking work at other key points of the basilica, with the aim of respecting Gaudí’s original vision and adapting the monument to the demands of the 21st century. Each advance is experienced in the city as an event, and anticipation grows as the conclusion of a project that has marked generations draws nearer.

The transformation of the Sagrada Família does not only affect those who live nearby. Visitor flows, changes to traffic and the reorganisation of public spaces are issues already felt in Barcelona’s day-to-day life. The question many are asking is clear: how will life in the city change when the basilica is finally completed?

The Sagrada Família is far more than a tourist icon. Its construction, begun in 1882, has accompanied Barcelona’s evolution for almost a century and a half. The basilica has survived wars, crises and urban-planning changes, becoming a symbol of resilience and creativity. Each new phase of construction stirs mixed emotions among those who see it as an unfinished masterpiece and those who regard it as a driver of urban transformation. Today, the city watches expectantly as a project that continues to write Barcelona’s history enters its final stretch.