Sagrada Família to finish towers of Evangelists Mark and Luke by end of the year - Sagrada Família to finish towers of Evangelists Mark and Luke by end of the year

Construction of the Sagrada Família is on the home straight, focusing on the six central towers. So, a press conference was held this morning to present the lion and the ox sculptures from the tetramorph, which will crown the towers of Mark and Luke, respectively. These two of the four towers of the Evangelists that will surround the tower of Jesus Christ are expected to be finished in late December this year.

Completion of the towers of the Evangelists Mark and Luke

The Junta Constructora also announced this morning that the towers of the Evangelists Mark and Luke are expected to be completed by the end of this year. As part of the central group of towers, the four towers of the Evangelists will surround the tower of Jesus Christ, standing 135 metres tall once finished, the Temple’s third tallest. To identify which evangelist each tower represents, there will be sculptures with the figure of the tetramorph, with a book and wings. These figures have been used for centuries to represent the evangelists in Christian iconography, art and architecture.

The towers of the Evangelists are divided into three parts: the base, which starts from the vaults at 45 metres above the ground and reaches 74 metres; the main section, up to 112 metres; and the pinnacles, which are 22.5 metres tall. Each pinnacle, in turn, has three parts of its own: the shaft, made up of hexagonal shields with the praises Amen and Al·leluia; further up, an icosahedron with the spotlights to illuminate the cross; and, at the very top of the tower, the figure of the tetramorph. The building system is the same tensioned stone used on the central towers, but without the reinforced concrete structure on the corners.

The four towers will be crowned with the four figures of the tetramorph, by sculptor Xavier Medina Campeny, which Christian iconography has traditionally used to represent the men who told the story of Jesus’ life: an angel for Matthew, a lion for Mark, an ox for Luke and an eagle for John.

So, this year the tower of the Evangelist Mark will be topped with the sculpture of the lion, a symbol of strength, courage and royalty. And, also at the end of this year, the tower of the Evangelist Luke will be crowned with the sculpture of the ox, a calm, humble beast of burden. The tetramorph figures will have wings on top, stretching up to a peak height of 135 metres above the ground and clearly visible from a distance. The wings are made with one of the shapes from Gaudí’s last ruled geometry: a great hyperboloid with an elliptical cross-section. The sculptures will also have a book with the corresponding abbreviations.

Open Doors Days 2022

On 23, 24 and 25 September, the Basilica is holding its annual Open Doors Days. A draw, open to all citizens, was held to give out 15,000 tickets to visit the Temple for free and see the sculptures of the tetramorph of Mark and Luke, two of the four towers of the Evangelists that will surround the tower of Jesus Christ, which will be on display through 25 September.

Tower of Jesus Christ: target 2026

As head architect Mr Jordi Faulí announced previously, the Junta Constructora de la Sagrada Família is working towards the goal of completing the tower of Jesus Christ by 2026, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death.

The tower of Jesus Christ will be the central tower of the Temple and its tallest, standing 172.5 metres tall. It will be crowned with a four-armed cross that will be 17 metres tall and 13.5 metres wide.