Sagrada Familia to Complete in 2026 After 144 Years

La Sagrada Família, Barcelona’s iconic basilica, is getting close to completion, with a target finish date in June—144 years after construction began in 1882. 

This follows the placement of the fourth arm of a statue of Jesus Christ, which came a few days after the third arm, as well as the earlier installation of the lower arm, the core, and the horizontal arms of the Nativity and Passion facades.

The cross’s arms are square at the ends and octagonal at the core, each weighing 12.8 tonnes and measuring 4.4 × 4.5 × 4.5 meters. Once complete, it will rise 17 meters—roughly a five-story building—and span 13.5 meters wide.

Designed by pioneering Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, La Sagrada Família, often regarded as the longest-running project in the world, is a masterpiece of modernist architecture. 

The architectural marvel in one of Spain’s most vibrant cities has taken a long time to build due to design complexity, wars and funding challenges that impacted its progress.

According to a 2019 report, the total construction cost was around £314 million, with annual expenses estimated at €25 million, bringing total spending to about £419 million.

RELATED: The 40-Year-Old Building Project That Never Ends

Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Familia, the organisation responsible for overseeing the project, recently announced the closing date, saying it was in the final stages of construction.

“The beginning of the final stage of construction kicked off with the completion of the towers of the Evangelists (November 2023), and work is currently underway on the Chapel of the Assumption and the tower of Jesus Christ,” Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Familia said.

“The Chapel of the Assumption is expected to be finished in 2025 and the tower of Jesus Christ in 2026,” the organisation added, without giving specific dates.

RELATED: Dubai to Host the World’s Tallest Residential Tower

Founded in 1885, Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Familia, was established to ensure the continuation of the project after architect Gaudí’s death on June 10, 1926.

La Sagrada Família, which was initially funded by donations, now benefits significantly from tourism, which generated £108.8 million in 2023, with more than half allocated to ongoing construction.

Upon its completion in 2026, the tower of Jesus is expected to be 172.5 metres tall, making La Sagrada Família the tallest church in the world.

Join 15,000+ pros getting our weekly digest of news and insights.