Higher Power

Modern technology is at long last moving Barcelona’s famed Sagrada Familia basilica nearer to completion

- JESUS MESA

MORE THAN 140 YEARS IN THE MAKING, BARcelona's extraordinary Sagrada Família basilica could finally be finished.

The church, designed by famed Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, combines Gothic and Art Nouveau forms in what is widely considered to be among the most beautiful buildings on Earthalthough author George Orwell once called it the world's ugliest.

It is now cruising toward its expected 2026 completion date with the help of two Liebherr cranes.

After crews finished the four towers of the Evangelists in November 2023, there is only one more spire left to complete the group of six central towers the last major phase of the project. The cranes will play a crucial role in the completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ, the pinnacle of the basilica that will reach a height of 564.3 feet, making it the tallest church in the world.