Barcelona drops plan for entrance to Sagrada Familia

July 12, 2017

City officials in Barcelona have set aside plans for a final element of the Sagrada Familia basilica.

Architect Antonio Gaudi, who designed the famous cathedral, had envisioned a grand staircase leading up to the main entrance. But the construction of that staircase would require major changes in traffic on one of the city’s major thoroughfares, and the costs of the project would be beyond Barcelona’s budgetary means, officials concluded.

Construction of the Sagrada Familia—which is already designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site—was begun in 1882. The project is scheduled for completion in 2026: the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death.

 

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Further information:

• The City of Barcelona blocks the completion of the Sagrada Familia: “It’s not a priority” (La Stampa)