Homage to Catalonia - part 2

Dominating the Barcelona skyline. soaring into the sky above the roofs and terraces of what is an otherwise fairly low-rise city, sits Gaudi's most famous (unfinished) opus: the Sagrada Familia. The temple dominated the last 15 years of the architect's life, following a previous 25 years of toil, and standing outside looking skywards you can understand what a labour of love this huge edifice would have been.

The level of detail is quite exceptional, more so on the outside (which is, ostensibly at least, rather more complete than the interior) and the audio we procured before starting our tour gives an informative narrative on what you're peering up at.

The imposing bronze doors bear rows and rows of scripture, with the occasional detail picked out in gold.

Inside the church, the sheer height of the vaults is the most striking feature. That, and the building work going on down at sea-level. The audio tour includes comments from the current architects who are working on the project, and who have contributed to the exterior. Whatever controversy greets each new stage of construction and the pangs of indignation even an architectural layman like me might feel at someone other than Gaudi himself working on the building, the encumbents seem to know their stuff. If the outside is anything to go by, then the inside is in safe hands.Gaudi was influenced by natural forms throughout his career and in the Sagrada Familia these are as evident as ever. The entire structure is shot through with shapes resembling flowers; botanical shapes inform the pillars which soar up to support the roof.