that the Holy Family It is an architectural jewel, there is little doubt. Which is one of the great icons of Barcelona and one of the obligatory stops for tourists who come to the city, either, as attested by the 4.8 million of visitors it received last year. Now Antoni Gaudí’s temple will be able to boast an added merit: being the highest church of the entire planet, a brand that has just been snatched from the Ulm Cathedral, which held that record since 1890.
The key: a little big growth of its central tower.
What has happened? That the world ranking of mega constructions has undergone an important change. Above all because of its symbolism for Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain as a whole. Yesterday, almost on the eve of All Saints’ Day, those responsible for the works of the Sagrada Familia they hoisted a piece of the ‘Tower of Jesus Christ’ that has raised the height of the temple to almost 163 m.
If the fact were not surprising in itself, it comes accompanied by a surprise for lovers of world records: it has turned the Catalan temple into the tallest church in the world, a merit that has been taken away from Ulm Cathedral.
Why’s that? What the temple has just incorporated is part of the cross of the ‘Tower of Jesus Christ’, a centerpiece of the Sagrada Familia. More specifically what they installed on thursday The operators with a crane is the lower arm of the cross (7.25 m and 24 tons), which had arrived in July divided into four panels.
Those responsible for the project detail that the piece has a double-turn geometry, a square shape at the base, octagonal at the top and a coating of white glazed ceramic and glass, materials chosen for their “luminosity and resistance to atmospheric conditions.” “Once completed, the cross will have a total height of 17 m, equivalent to a five-story building, and a width of 13.5 m,” they clarify.
Why is it important? The Sagrada Familia takes almost a century and a half being built, an extensive period full of ups and downs and marked by milestones such as the death of the father of the project, the architect Antoni Gaudi (1926), the Civil War or the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout this vast chronicle, the works have celebrated important milestones, but Thursday’s is especially symbolic.
The reason? How has he been in charge of remember the Archdiocesan Church of Barcelona, the new piece raises the glonal height of the temple to 162.91 meters. It is expected that in the next few monthsas the works are completed, the ‘Tower of Jesus Christ’ will take another growth spurt until reach 172 mbut the current mark has already been enough to turn the Sagrada Familia into a record building.
And who had the record? Right now the tallest church in the world (recognized by Guinness World Records) is the Ulm Cathedrala Lutheran church located in Baden-Württemberg (Germany), built in several phases between 1377 and 1890 and which has a spire that reaches a height of 161.5 m.
The difference with the Catalan temple is still minimal, but that will likely change in the coming months as the tower is completed. In summer the temple already conquered another milestone, also thanks to the pinnacle: it surpassed the Mapfre Tower and Hotel Arts and became the largest building from Barcelona.
Its construction is possible thanks largely to the money that visitors pay to visit the temple. Last year the 4.8 million of visitors, 2.7% more than in 2023 and even above pre-covid data.
Images | Holy Family 1 and 2
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