Over 100 years of waiting: Sagrada Familia to debut tallest tower in June

Under construction since 1882, the Sagrada Familia, currently the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, is set to reach a significant construction milestone in June this year, as noted by East Week magazine, a sister publication of The Standard.

Barcelona's most recognizable landmark, the Sagrada Familia is renowned for its staggering height and uncannily natural curves that jolt conventional understandings of church architecture.

Upon the completion of Jesus Christ Tower, its soon-to-be tallest component, the basilica will reach 172 meters to become the world's tallest church – yet falling short of the Montjuic hill in Barcelona by one meter, in keeping with Gaudi's belief that that man-made things should bow to God's creations.

The construction of the tower is set for completion on June 10, the centenary of the death of its master architect. Hailed as "God's architect," Gaudi, born in 1852, was a leading figure of Catalan modernism. His work is distinguished by its seamless integration of structure, form, and decorations, eschewing rigid lines and symmetry in favor of free-flowing curves.

Seven of Gaudi's architectural works are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the Crypt and Nativity facade of the Sagrada Familia. Located at the entrance of the basilica, the facade is themed around the birth of Jesus and features incredibly intricate sculptures.

Despite its unfinished state, the Sagrada Familia has been open to public viewing for many years. When Gaudi was invited to take over the project in 1883, his avant-garde designs sparked disparate reactions, spanning from George Orwell's ridicule of the basilica as "one of the most hideous buildings in the world" to Salvador Dali's praise for its "terrifying and edible beauty," which to him warranted keeping the church "under a glass dome."

The long construction process of the church traversed the Spanish Civil War, which ravaged the site and saw building plans and photographs go up in flames. Later generations reconstructed the blueprint from surviving materials, ushering in the soon-to-be-revealed, close-to-complete look of the Sagrada Familia through decades of collective hard work.

With bated breath, the world awaits the unveiling of the main tower, which will bring us one step closer to the fullness of Gaudi's grand vision for the church. With heightened artistic prestige comes greater challenges, however, as critics point out that balancing increased visitor flow and capacity for religious purposes will be the church's key challenge in the future.