US EditionBarcelona’s Sagrada Familia reaches its maximum height after more than a century
The 172.5-meter tower, funded by millions of tourists, was topped ahead of the June centenary of architect Gaudí's death, marking a key milestone in the long construction.
- On Feb 20, 2026, a crane placed the upper arm of a cross atop the Tower of Jesus Christ, bringing Sagrada Familia in Barcelona to its planned maximum height of 172.5m.
- Ahead of the centenary in June, scaffolding is scheduled to be removed by June and the tower blessed on June 10, according to head architect Jordi Fauli.
- Surpassing Ulm Minster, the extra height atop the Jesus Christ tower means Sagrada Familia now exceeds Ulm Minster's 161.53 meters as the world's tallest church at 172.5m.
- Entrance fees largely fund ongoing construction as the Sagrada Familia sold 4.8 million tickets in 2024, yet full completion is expected in around a decade.
- Barcelona city government must approve the light-beam plan from the cross's four arms, while town hall mediates residents' opposition to entrance steps amid a housing crisis more than 140 years after Antoni Gaudí designed the monument.
118 Articles
118 Articles
World's tallest church: Sagrada Familia inches closer to the sky
Barcelona's towering Sagrada Familia basilica reached its maximum height on Friday, though the magnum opus of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí remains years away from completion. A crane placed the upper arm of a cross atop the Tower of Jesus Christ, the church's soaring central piece, which now stands 172.5 meters (566 feet) above the city.
The last part of the central tournament of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona was installed, bringing the church to its final peak at 144 years from the beginning of the work, writes The Guardian. A few days later...
A ceremony marking the completion of the tower, the largest of the 18 that Gaudi envisioned, is scheduled to take place on the centenary of Gaudi's death, June 10.
In Barcelona, the world famous Basilica of Sagrada Família has reached its final height.
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