Time July 8, 2019ment buildings being squashed beneath
a foot adorned with the same silhouette
going up 100 m above their heads. “I don’t
consider the church the enemy,” says Sal-
vador Barroso, spokesperson for the pro-
testers. “It’s their property, and they can
dance folkdances in it for all I care. But
when it encroaches on my property, what
am I supposed to do?” Like many of his
neighbors, he blames the city government
for failing to protect residents, and wants
either a guarantee that he can stay in his
apartment or fair compensation for mov-
ing. So far, neither is on the table.
Head architect Faulí is quick to em-
phasize that neither the staircase nor the
surrounding green space is included in
the 2026 deadline. “That,” he says with
a gentle smile, “will be another phase.”
So too will the decoration of the Glory fa-
cade, which Gaudí refrained from detail-
ing. “How do you represent the Eternal
Glory?” asks Faulí. “We know from his
model that it will have four towers and
16 immense lanterns over the entry. And
we know that Gaudí was near the end of
his own life, so we can intuit mystical el-
ements, the glimpse of God. But figuring
out what he intended for that, yes, some-
times that keeps me up at night.”
For Faulí, who like many on the con-
struction team is a deeply religious man,
the role of determining Gaudí’s vision
is daunting. But he also finds profound
meaning in the work. “Somehow, Sagrada
Familia lifts everyone so that they bring
their best to it. It’s transcendent.”
One day in the near future, the final
panel will be lifted into place and the
Jesus tower topped with a five-pointed
illuminated star. Ascending via eleva-
tor and then a final staircase, the visi-
tor will be able to see Barcelona stretch-
ing below, its wide boulevards leading to
the mountains in one direction and the
sparkling Mediterranean in the other.
For Jaume Oromí, the view from the
platform where he oversees construc-
tion never ceases to make him feel closer
to God. But what really moves him is to
stand alone in the nave at night, after all
the tourists have left, and to put a hand
on one of those extraordinary columns
that Gaudí designed. “Then you can feel
it,” he says. “It speaks to you.” •
A panel is lifted by
crane near the top of
the Sagrada Familia,
ready to fit perfectly
into position,
in MarchWorld
For more videos and photos, visit
time.com/sagrada-familia-barcelona
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