The Jesus Christ Tower of the Sagrada Familia is the heart of Gaudí’s project, the final note of a magnificent architectural symphony, the piece that symbolizes the passion, dedication, relentless effort, and excellence devoted to fulfilling the dream of the architect from Reus.
The completion of the works and the culmination of the tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia are increasingly near. Below, we explain every construction detail and the planned timeline until the next inauguration of the Jesus Christ Tower.
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Table of Contents
- The Sagrada Familia and the Jesus Christ Tower
- Architecture of the Jesus Christ Tower
- When will the tower be inaugurated?
- Visiting the Jesus Christ Tower
The Sagrada Familia and the prominence of the Jesus Christ Tower
The Jesus Christ Tower is a major architectural and construction milestone in the Sagrada Familia. It is the piece that crowns the Temple at its highest point and fills it with meaning through an immense cross.
Piece by piece, a series of tensioned stone panels shape the structure, an intersection of twelve paraboloids, housing an elevator and a spiral staircase inside. In its final section, a large four-armed cross, a characteristic element of Gaudí’s architecture, will crown the Sagrada Familia at over 172 meters in height.
It is an enormous technical, human, social, and economic challenge, as almost all of the temple’s construction is funded through visits to the Sagrada Familia.
The central role of the tower in Gaudí’s vision
The Jesus Christ Tower plays a fully starring role in architectural terms. It is the most prominent element and reaches the highest elevation of the building. This also gives it a highly significant role in the skyline of the city of Barcelona and, by extension, all of Catalonia.
The Sagrada Familia as a whole cannot be understood without the central role of the Jesus Christ Tower, surrounded and supported by the towers of the Virgin Mary and the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It gives the Expiatory Temple a clear sense of verticality, a vertex that connects the earthly world and ascends toward the heavens.
A spiritual and architectural symbol
The tower has an evident architectural expression, as already mentioned, but it is dominated by a clear spiritual and religious symbolism. The large cross that opens its arms toward the cardinal points of Barcelona is a testament to the strength and passion of the Christian faith and, at the same time, an invitation to peace and harmony.
It is a universal symbol that recalls the figure of Jesus, which is why the inscription Tu solus Sanctus, Tu solus Dominus, Tu solus Altissimus is incorporated into the pinnacle supporting the cross, which, translated from Latin, means “you are the only Holy One, you are the only Lord, you are the only Most High.”
Location and relationship with the rest of the temple
The Sagrada Familia temple features 18 towers, with those of Jesus and Mary being the most prominent. To be more technical and specific, it should be noted that there are actually 12 towers, four located on each façade, and six domes rising in the center of the temple. Of the six domes, the most significant is the aforementioned Jesus Christ Tower, followed by the Tower of Mary, accompanied by the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Architecture of the Jesus Christ Tower
Height and dimensions
- Height of the Jesus Christ Tower: 172.5 meters
- Base diameter: 18 meters
- Spiral staircase and glass elevator inside
- Structure in panels up to 142.5 meters in height
- Cross of 17 meters in height and 13.50 meters in width
Height of the domes surrounding the Jesus Christ Tower:
- Height of the Virgin Mary Tower: 138 meters
- Height of the Apostles’ Towers: 135 meters
Materials and techniques used
Over the years, construction techniques and technological advances have been applied to the Sagrada Familia. This has also been the case in the construction of the Jesus Christ Tower, which, for example, required the support of a crane over 200 meters tall. With it, pre-assembled tensioned stone panels were placed, fitting them with millimeter precision.
Inside the tower’s hollow interior is a glass elevator, which will offer a truly sensational panoramic view during the journey to the cross. Surrounding it, occupying the core, is a spiral staircase.
The final touch: a four-armed illuminated cross
The cross crowning the tower measures 17 meters in height and 13.50 meters in width. It is a structure with an estimated weight of approximately 200 tons.
It will be clad in white glazed ceramic and glass, highly suitable materials for reflecting Mediterranean light during the day, creating a brilliant effect symbolizing the light of Christ. The ceramic pieces have curved and pyramidal shapes, while the glass consists of three curved, laminated layers with textures and machined pyramids to maximize reflection.
At night, the cross of the Jesus Christ Tower will be illuminated and project a beam of light from each of its arms.
When will the Jesus Christ Tower be completed?
Official sources from the Sagrada Familia have announced that the Jesus Christ Tower will be completed by the end of 2025.
So, when will the Sagrada Familia be finished? What exact date will mark the completion of the Jesus Christ Tower? These questions are repeated time and again, especially now that the end of the works is approaching, but it is difficult to provide precise information.
Most likely, the Jesus Christ Tower will be inaugurated in 2026, coinciding with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death. However, this does not mean the completion of the entire Sagrada Familia, as other parts, particularly the Glory Façade, still need to be finished. Here, we explain the details of the completion timeline.
Brief chronology and latest construction progress
- 1882: Project begins. Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano is chosen as architect.
- 1914: Gaudí dedicates himself exclusively to the Sagrada Familia.
- 1976: Completion of all towers on the Passion Façade.
- 2018: Placement of the first panels of the central dome.
- 2021: Installation of the star on the Virgin Mary Tower, marking its completion.
- 2023: Completion of the set of Evangelists’ Towers.
- May 2024: Installation of a crane reaching 200 meters in height.
- August 2025: The tower reaches 155 meters and becomes the tallest structure in Barcelona.
- Late 2025: Final details of the Tower of Jesus.
- June 10, 2026: Coronation of the Tower of Jesus, coinciding with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death.
Can the Jesus Christ Tower be visited?
Yes, the Jesus Christ Tower can be visited. It will undoubtedly be an extraordinary attraction, if one was needed, for visiting the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. This is what we know about visiting the Jesus Christ Tower to date.
Inside the tower, there will be three visitable levels:
- First level at 85 meters in height
- Second level at 143 meters in height
- Viewpoint of the great cross of the Jesus Christ Tower
To access the cross, after exiting the elevator, there will be a final staircase leading, with some effort, to the 164-meter-high internal viewpoint of the cross. This is a limited-capacity space formed by the four horizontal arms of the cross.
It doesn’t take much to realize that the panoramic views of the city of Barcelona from inside the Jesus Christ Tower will be top-notch, and the tickets for the Jesus Christ Tower will be in high demand.
Comparison of the Jesus Christ Tower in Barcelona
The height difference compared to other major buildings in the Catalan capital will be notable, as you can see in the following list of the city’s tallest buildings:
- Height of the Collserola Tower: 288 meters (located on the mountain surrounding the city)
- Height of the Jesus Christ Tower: 172.5 meters
- Height of the Mapfre Tower and Hotel Arts: 154 meters
- Height of the Glòries Tower: 144 meters
- Height of the Montjuïc Communications Tower: 136 meters
- Height of the Melià Barcelona Sky Hotel: 115 meters
- Height of the Colón Building: 110 meters
- Height of Diagonal ZeroZero: 110 meters
- Height of the Princess Barcelona Hotel: 109 meters
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Comparison with other religious temples worldwide
The completion of the Jesus Christ Tower will place Barcelona and the Sagrada Familia Basilica in the top tier of the world’s tallest temples. Below is a list of the tallest religious centers, cathedrals, and temples in the world today:
- Sagrada Familia Basilica (Spain): 172.5 meters
- Ulm Minster (Germany): 161.5 meters
- Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (Ivory Coast): 158 meters
- Cologne Cathedral (Germany): 157.4 meters
- Rouen Cathedral (France): 151 meters
- St. Nicholas Church (tower only) (Germany): 147.3 meters
- Strasbourg Cathedral (France): 142 meters
- Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń (separate observation tower) (Poland): 141.5 meters
- St. Peter’s Basilica (Vatican City): 136.6 meters
- St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Austria): 136.4 meters
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (New Cathedral) (Austria): 134.8 meters