Sagrada Familia: Covid is a catastrophe for the oldest construction site in the world

Barcelona's Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous construction sites in the world. The “Atonement Church” should be completed on the 100th anniversary of the death of the architect Antonio Gaudi in 2026. Because of Corona, this will not work.

Barcelona's free fall from "overtourism" into a wasteland of tourism has not only disturbed retail and hospitality. Due to the Corona crisis and Spain's continued status as a risk area, both air travelers and the major cruise participants are absent.

This also hits the Sagrada Familia hard, the "atonement church" of the architect Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926), whose legacy has since been the continuation of the monumental building. The original plan was to complete the ambitious work of the century on time for Gaudi's 100th anniversary of death in 2026. But this homage to the exuberant "Architect of God" will not succeed after the latest developments.

No money, no diggers

For months the wheels have been standing still on one of the most famous permanent construction sites in the world. According to the building commissioner, Esteve Camps, the resumption of work is scheduled for the end of September or the beginning of October.

Those responsible are worried about the collapsed financial sources on which the progress of construction depends. The two pillars are donations and especially the entrance fees for visiting the holy halls. The pandemic caused a serious slump here, not only because of Spain's month-long lockdown from March.

26 euros for a Sagrada ticket

While in July of the previous year an average of 15,600 visitors per day passed the gates of the basilica, after the reopening of the Sagrada Familia this July there were only around 2,000. In August and September the picture did not change significantly; According to the camps, the number of visitors did not exceed the 3,000 mark once during the summer holiday.

The elimination of the international influx is one thing, the significantly higher entry price is another. Japanese and US-Americans – who are currently absent – may generally willingly pay 26 euros. For some Spanish domestic tourists, however, the high price has a deterrent effect.

Improvement in the influx is not in sight; the numbers are likely to fall further in autumn. From November, Camps said, more people around the world will be encouraged to donate through an advertising campaign. A donation function is set up by default on the multilingual website of the Sagrada Familia – and who knows: Perhaps the free "Open Days" currently running until Sunday will also have an effect to encourage local audiences to donate; 3,000 visitors were admitted free of charge.

"We hold on to hope"

In what form the work will proceed in the future, nobody can predict. What is certain is that the building commission in 2019 still had an annual budget of 100 million euros, while it has shrunk to 17 million euros with a view to the coming year. "We are sticking to the hope and commitment," Camps emphasized to media representatives. The building commission has already experienced "very difficult phases" in the course of history, but Gaudi's project has always "become reality on a larger or smaller scale". The corona crisis means "no exception".

The next big step is the completion of the Marienturm, which is planned for the end of 2021. That literally marks a further rise in architecture in the sense of Gaudi, because at 138 meters the tower is the second highest of the planned ensemble. The major part is already there, there are only 25 meters left to the end. The crowning glory will be a twelve-pointed star made of steel and glass elements that can be illuminated in the dark. When the basilica is one day completed, the remaining main tower, consecrated to Christ, will be the tallest church tower in the world at 172.50 meters.

But it will take a long time until then. Whether and how the financial situation will ease and to what extent the construction delays caused by Corona will affect the entire schedule cannot be foreseen. It may take several years. A new hook could be in 2032 – Gaudi's 180th birthday.

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