The Sagrada Familia rectifies and specifies that the staircase will have to affect more than one building

BarcelonaThe Construction Board of the Sagrada Família stumbled this Tuesday over the staircase that is to crown the Glory façade. In a surprising plot twist, the board's director general, Xavier Martínez, had opened the door for the first time to being able to build the staircase by demolishing only one building: the Núñez i Navarro property on Mallorca street. Hours later, however, the temple itself corrected the message and underscored that while that property is the key piece to being able to build the staircase, its construction will also "entail impacts on other buildings in the vicinity".

Martínez's words had caused surprise for three reasons: firstly, because until now the Sagrada Família had always maintained that the staircase had to follow Antoni Gaudí's plans and affect a good part of the two blocks of houses in front of the temple; secondly, because in the agreement-in-principle that is being negotiated with the City Council and the residents, the impact goes beyond this building; and finally, because by demolishing only the Núñez i Navarro property, the staircase would end up becoming a cul-de-sac wedged between the buildings on Marina street, the Font passage, and València street.

Sources from the Sagrada Família later corrected Martínez's words and remarked that, as had been said until now, the staircase project will entail impacts on other buildings in the vicinity. In fact, in the conversations that the City Council has been holding for months on two fronts with the temple and the residents, an agreement-in-principle had been reached that, as reported by El País and confirmed by ARA, only affected one block of houses. However, it did involve more demolitions in the central section and on València street. In recent weeks, however, residents have denounced that, for reasons unknown to them, the agreement has fallen through. It was in this context that Martínez's words have further unsettled the residents, who in conversation with ARA expressed their surprise at the Sagrada Família's change of position.

The general manager of the temple's Construction Board himself admitted this Tuesday that the talks were very advanced, but assured that for now they have no response from the City Council nor a schedule of when they might have one. "There is an agreement in principle, but we are waiting for the City Council to make a move," he stressed. He also openly acknowledged for the first time that the Sagrada Família plans to relocate the affected neighbors in a new building that would be built on a plot of land that the temple acquired in 2019 on the adjacent block, at the Aigües plot, between Marina, Lepant, Mallorca, and València.

No news on who will make the sculptures for the Glory facade

Beyond the mess with the staircase, the construction schedule was also discussed during the press conference. Martínez maintained the horizon of being able to have the Glory façade finished in a decade, although he admitted that it was more "a wish than a reality." Resolving the agreement with the City Council and the neighbors is, in fact, key, because without it, it seems difficult for the Catalan capital's consistory to grant the building permit to be able to carry out the rest of the temple's construction.

For the moment, the director architect of the works, Jordi Faulí, has explained that with the building permit they have now, they can indeed raise the four towers of the Glory façade. As he detailed, the bifurcated columns that will have to support the four towers are now beginning to be built, which are scheduled to begin rising next year. Work also continues on the Assumpta chapel, an annex building that the architect Antoni Gaudí conceived to honor the Virgin Mary and which has three new sculptures. They are those of Saint Josep Oriol, Saint Roc, and one of the four angels that will crown the dome and support the Virgin's blue mantle.

There is still no news on who will make the sculptural ensemble of the Glory façade. As Faulí explained, the board has not yet made any decision on the proposals presented by Miquel Barceló, Javier Marín, and Cristina Iglesias. "It is an important decision and I think it is logical or important that the necessary time is dedicated to it," he remarked. As he did in the month of March, the architect has opened the door to the possibility that the work will finally be done by a single sculptor, more than one, or none of them.

The temple's Construction Board took advantage of the press conference to take stock of what the centenary of the death of Antoni Gaudí has meant for the Sagrada Família. The general director, Xavier Martínez, highlighted the impact that the visit of Pope Francis for the premiere of the Jesus tower has had around the world. As he said, between January 1 and June 30 of this year alone, 41,000 news stories about the temple have been published, 31,000 of which in foreign media. Martínez also remarked, however, that the commemoration has strengthened the bond with the people of Barcelona, the citizens of the rest of the country, and also of the State. As he said, for the first time in many years, the most numerous visitors to the temple are those born in the State, ahead of those from the United States.