Detailed review by thingywhatsit
thingywhatsit
Gouarec, France91%
Before Gaudi had a chance to finish the Sagrada Familia, he died in a tram accident. Gaudi was born in the 1840's and as a child was confined to bed by an illness, though it did not take long for his genius to be recognised and one can only imagine that the years that he was bedridden served to help his imagination soar. Later in school, he excelled in some subjects although mathematics was not one of them, which is surprising when you see the way in which he designs, and it is amazing to think that although he was qualified to go to Architectural school, his roots and his imagination played very strongly in the construction of many of his most known buildings, the calculations being made with small bags of sand weighted at different levels to see if the structures would work.
His calculations paid off, and he began to design buildings that were different from the norm, that went away from straight lines into the realms of fantasy, encompassing nature, and the elements of nature, so that the Gaudi buildings go hand in hand with the wildlife that surrounds his buildings, and here I can recount something rather strange.
The facade of the Sagrada Familia, which westerners would class as a cathedral, but which is in fact a church, is a carved monument to nature, with little figures, and animals and birds and when I looked at this area of the cathedral and the facade that Gaudi designed, pidgeons and other birds nestled amonst the naturalness of the landscape that Gaudi had created.
On the other side of the Sagrada Familia is the concept of progress, and although it is thought that Gaudi was responsible for the design of the building which continued after his death, I personally cannot believe that the other side of the cathedral bears much ressemblance to what Gaudi as a man created, because it is cold and mass produced and the figures instead of being human became harsh and even warlike, and do not attract one bird !! It is almost as if the creation of Gaudi has soul, whereas the continuation of the Sagrada Familia does not.
Walking around the Sagrada Familia is impeded by scaffold and the continuation of the works which finance allows, and the Sagrada Familia is an ongoing project although Gaudi himself said that it is a little like an oak tree that takes centuries to grow but grows strong, as opposed to reeds which grow quickly and then die.
In the centre of the hustle and bustle of Barcelona this building is worthy of a visit and to me is a reminder that mankind put progress before the natural splendour of the world. Inside we were shown moulds that make the panels for the new side of the church, mass produced and cold, restrained by lack of Gaudi's imagination, and indeed funding.
The older side of the building is alive and vibrant and very beautiful and is a reminder that architecture can be innovative and take account of its surroundings. You cannot help but be drawn in by the magnificance and beauty of the old side of the Sagrada Familia and it is certainly one of the most important buildings in Barcelona, and even if you are passing through, if you pass without seeing the evolution of this architecture, you have indeed wasted an opportunity to see a very outstanding piece of architectural history.
A taxi from the centre of Barcelona to the Segrada Familia will cost less that ten euros, entrance is relatively cheap at three euros fifty, and you can take the lifts up high into the towers at both the new and old end, and see how these towers were constructed, although here the old wins hands down over the new.
There is a tourist shop with a lot of good quality books on Gaudi as well as the usual tourist tack and there is limited access for handicapped people, although to me, the beauty of the Segrada Familia is external and anyone, even handicapped, can see this from the outside without paying.
This was a wonderful day, although one that made me think about how harsh and cold humanity prefers to be nowadays, although the soul of Gaudi will always be kept alive because of the heritage he left behind him.
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