Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia
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Gaudí's masterpiece or monsterpiece, to which he dedicated himself for the last 18 years of his life, often sleeping on the site - although the project had in fact been initiated by another architect, Francisco del Villar, in 1882. Only the crypt, the apse, and the four towers of the Facade of the Nativity, along Calle Marina, were completed in his lifetime. Every element in the decoration, much of it carved from life, was conceived by Gaudí as having a precise symbolic meaning, and he was deeply opposed to the idea of anyone appreciating the building outside of its religious context. Work on the cathedral was resumed in 1952 by some of Gaudí's assistants, who drew up plans based on some of his sketches and what they remembered of the great man's ideas (he never used detailed plans), and has accelerated in the last few years. The new towers of the Facade of the passion are completed, with sculptures by Josep Maria Subirachs that horrified many Gaudí admirers. The second sculptor now working on the building is Japanese, Etsuro Sotoo, who seems to be adhering more faithfully to Gaudí's intentions, with six musicians, adorning the rear of the cathedral, that are flowing and modest. No one would hazard a guess as to when it will be finished.

from Time Out Guide Barcelona

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