After 127 years under construction, the Sagrada Família, -arguably Gaudí’s most important work-, is to open for religious services inside the main part of the Cathedral in 2010.
The principal dome and the hyperboloid crowning it are the main focus of work at the moment.
These will be completed by March 2010, allowing the next stage of construction to move forward, which will see the building of the 125-metre-high Tower of the Virgin Mary above.
The final stretch of construction is now underway, claims Joan Rigol, delegate president of the construction commission overseeing the temple work.
Construction of the dome and tower will be the most complex part of the closure process. The dome’s vaults are 45 metres high and reach a height of 60 metres. With 120 full-time workers and a budget of 18 million euros, the changes to the Sagrada Família are spectacular.
Perhaps Barcelona’s most emblematic building, the Sagrada Família gets around 2.5 million visitors a year. Donations and entrance fees are the main sources of finance for the works.
The Cathedral’s central axis will be crowned with the Tower of Jesus Christ, standing 173 metres high.
