- Who
- Basílica de la Sagrada Família, aka the Sagrada Família
- Where
- Spain (Barcelona)
- When
The Basílica de la Sagrada Família, aka the Sagrada Família, in Barcelona, Spain, is the world’s largest church designed in the art-nouveau style. Begun in 1882 under the direction of architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, and taken over in 1883 by Antoni Gaudí, its construction is not expected to be completed until at least 2026 – although parts are already open to visitors. Currently 127 m (416 ft 7.9 in) high (as of April 2021), when finished the tallest of the 18 spires – the tower of Jesus Christ – will reach 170 m (560 ft) off the ground. Overall, the basilica will be 60 m (197 ft) wide and 95 m (312 ft) long.
The year 2026 will mark a century since the death of Gaudí, whose passion project this church, or "temple" as he called it, was.
Once complete, the Sagrada Família will be the tallest church in the world of any kind, overtaking current record holder, the early-Gothic-style Protestant Cathedral of Ulm in Germany, which reaches 161.53 m (529 ft 11.44 in) tall.
By the end of 2021, it is hoped that the Sagrada Família's second-tallest spire, the tower of the Virgin Mary, will be topped out, reaching a total height of 138 m (452 ft 9 in).
