A century ago, in the small town of Reus, Spain, a great architect was born June 25. Antoni Gaudi, the man whose creativity redefined architecture has some exquisite works to his credit including the Casa Batlló, the Park Güell and many other landmarks in and around Spain.
But the Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family) Church in Barcelona is perhaps his most notable design. Construction on the church started 130 years ago and the basilica it is yet to be completed.
Two years back, Pope Benedict came down to the church and consecrated it as a basilica, after the interiors were completed. That was the first time a mass was held in the church. A crowd of 7000 people came to attend the grand ceremony.
"CBS' 60 Minutes" took a tour to the Sagrada Familia and explored the basilica's grandeur. Though the interiors of the church have been completed, work on the exteriors is still on. A group of workers diligently work away at the facade and the sculptures. Apparently, the design of the structure is so complicated, intricate and advanced that building it without ruining the authenticity of the design is taking forever. The architects are using the latest construction methods to build the place. However, they say that it will take another 13 years to complete.
Check out the "60 Minutes" clip below:
Gaudi had a very strange sense of creativity. According to The Guardian, a 2011 study on Gaudi revealed that he used a psychiatric hospital as a testing ground for his designs and utilized the patients as his artisans.
Gaudi is known as "God's Architect." He brought out his deep faith in Catholicism through his architectural masterpieces. Not only was he a great architect but was also an adept structural engineer.
Gaudi's designs were a century ahead of his time. He had also envisioned a "soaring grand hotel attraction" for New York City after he was approached by two businessmen to design a hotel for the cityscape. The hotel was never built but you can take a look at the renderings, here.
Antonio Gaudi left a significant legacy for generations of architects. On his birthday, we raise our hats to the man who took modern designs to exponential levels and broke free from mediocrity to create designs that continue to awe the world.