The Sagrada Familia features a mix of Catalan
Modernism, Spanish Late Gothic, Catalan Noucentisme and Art Nouveau. While the
church began construction during the Art Nouveau, Gaudi has been credited with
bringing Art Nouveau style much beyond its usual application as a surface
decoration.
While the Sagrada Familia was never meant to be a
cathedral, it was designed to be one in terms of its scale. Featuring a shorter
width than most other cathedrals in Europe, the Sagrada Familia showcases a
complex symphony of parts, including numerous steeples, three portals, an
ambulatory with seven apsidal chapels, double aisles and towers.
The Nativity facade, along with the Glory facade and
the Passion facade, are the only parts of the Sagrada Familia which have been
completely designed by Gaudi. The Nativity facade was constructed between 1894
and 1930 and is the only part of the Sagrada Familia that Gaudi saw built in
this lifetime. The Facade is intricately designed and richly ornamented with
marble animals like turtles, salamanders and pelicans, and a huge tree of life
surrounded by white marble doves. It represents the birth of Christ and is
symbolic of symbolic of birth, life, and light.
Guided by drawings made by Gaudi, work on the
Passion Facade started in 1954 and was completed in 1976. The Passion Facade
represents the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ.Strikingly different
in form when compared to the Nativity Facade, this façade has a skeletal feel,
with pillars resembling bones and expressive sculptures re-enacting the last
week of Christ's life.
The Glory Facade represents Christ’s eternal
glory and is the only one yet to be completed. It features scenes of Christ’s
rise to heaven and eternal bliss. Although unfinished, it is already the
tallest of all the towers.
