Modern methods utilised to complete Gaudi's masterpiece

At 17 years old, Tenderstream can’t claim to have published the tender for this project, but we would like to congratulate our member Arup for their role on the Sagrada Familia, which has now become the tallest church in the world following the placement of its central tower. The church is expected to open 144 years after work began, on the centenary of Gaudi’s death in 2026.  In 2014, with the building 60% complete, the Sagrada Família Foundation approached Arup to help with the remaining structural design, particularly how to produce the remaining six towers, dedicated to the Four Evangelists, The Mother of God, and Jesus Christ. 

The team were aware that the towers, built in traditional masonry or earthquake resistant reinforced concrete with stone cladding, would make the towers too heavy for the foundations and crypt below. Arup developed a scheme using the stone itself as structure, reducing the weight of the tower by a factor of two. Pre-stressed stone masonry panels as the primary structural element provide greater strength to the panels, allowing them to be accurately fabricated remotely, transported to site, and easily assembled on site by crane.

A new generation of digital tools were used to produce workable structural designs, in an approach combining deep human knowledge of the structural variables in the towers’ form and position, with powerful algorithmic tools that could model the hundreds of subtle variations of geometries for the design. Each and every component was modelled in 3D to a construction level of detail, with carefully designed connections ensuring that when panels are craned into place, they fit together like Lego blocks, without further adjustment. 

Jordi Faulí, Architectural Director for the Sagrada Família Foundation, stated: “The work of the Arup team has allowed us to build the central towers with the innovative technique of prestressed stone. We value their rigour and the research for the most effective, clear and simple solutions.” 

Lucy Nordberg

Tenderstream Head of Research

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