Designer's travel diary

“The BASÍLICA DE LA SAGRADA FAMÍLIA, designed by ANTONI GAUDI, is one of the most inspirational structures I have ever seen,” Designer Disha Bhavsar

- Disha Bhavsar

THE ONE STRUCTURE that has stuck with me even after travelling extensively is The Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona. The Roman Catholic Basilica is nothing short of a masterpiece, designed by the legendary Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, and is still an ongoing project.

I HAD WANTED TO VISIT Barcelona to see Gaudi’s work for a long time. And finally in 2018, I travelled there to see various works of Gaudi and fell in love with the city. The Bascilica has been under construction for over a century, and its estimated to be completed in 2026. However, its open for visitors.

MY FIRST GLIMPSE OF SAGRADA was from my hotel rooftop bar. And I was simply awe-struck — in fact, I froze for a few minutes at the magnitude of the structure. It was imposing and larger-than-life. Famed critic Zerbst Rainer once wrote about Sagrada Família saying that it is practically impossible to find such a church in the entire history of architecture!