Fireworks celebrating the completion of the 566ft Tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Família

[u/danielminds]

[u/hiiiigh1312]

Notre Dame hates this trick

[u/RainMakerJMR → u/hiiiigh1312]

I was just like holy fuck they’re gonna burn it down on the first day

[u/Bourriks → u/RainMakerJMR]

It's a fireproof check test.

[u/Readmeharder → u/Bourriks]

The pyrotechnics at the station nightclub were supposed to be fireproof too

[u/Laugh-Aggressive → u/Readmeharder]

Well, fireproof pyrotechnics is really just a watershow, am I right?😂

[u/Donkey__Balls → u/Readmeharder]

I knew the guy who was part of the stage management team that night. He was the one who collapsed in tears in court begging the judge to give him a much harsher sentence but the judge said he wasn’t the main person at fault and only gave him 6 months for negligence. Apparently he asked the court to give him the harshest sentence possible which would have been decades. I’m not clear exactly what his role was, but he wasn’t the one who brought the pyrotechnics, but he could’ve stopped it.

Back when I ran a janitorial company he was my supplier. Nobody knew about it and you wouldn’t think he was carrying that if you met him. I just happened to look him up one day and found it, never mentioned it.

[u/Readmeharder → u/Donkey__Balls]

I’m not saying that he was insincere or that he wasn’t severely traumatized by the situation, but a lot of Rhode Islander’s were incensed by the extremely lenient sentencing for what was clearly gross negligence. The walls of that club were coated in a highly flammable foam (they might as well have filled the place with gasoline) and the owners were too stingy to install a sprinkler system. Apparently the club wasn’t technically required to have a sprinkler system, but the owners knew the risks and chose greed— simulations show that sprinklers almost certainly would’ve saved all 100 lives

[u/ballpein → u/Readmeharder]

I know you're joking, but Great White's pyro at the station night club was definitely not 'supposed to be fireproof'. They were designed to be safe in a much larger venue, they had no qualified operator, they had no safety plan or so much as an extinguisher, they didn't tell the night club about them and they certainly didn't do any planning or give even the slightest thought to fire safety.

For the clubs part, they were over capacity and in violation of fire code with inadequate exits and highly flammable insulation sprayed on the walls and ceiling as sound-proofing.

Nothing about it was fire safe or fireproof and 100 people died that night.

[u/haubowtdemoshon → u/ballpein]

The nightclub owners did think they bought fire resistant foam, turned out to be the opposite.

[u/JM3DlCl → u/Readmeharder]

There were supposed to be NO pyrotechnics. The manager brought them anyways. There is no such thing as fireproof fireworks lol

[u/haubowtdemoshon → u/JM3DlCl]

They thought the sound insulating foam was fire resistant though, turned out to be fire fuelling foam.

[u/asdrunkasdrunkcanbe → u/RainMakerJMR]

I would genuinely burst out laughing if that had happened.

[u/Readmeharder → u/asdrunkasdrunkcanbe]

When I was a kid my mom and I would spend weeks building mandala sand art, just to wipe it away once it was finished. Looking back on it, it was a good lesson for a kid

[u/Sycing → u/Readmeharder]

My art teacher at school made us rip finished pieces so we dont get too attached to the drawings. This also helped us not to get too focused on the small details that almost nobody else would notice.

At the beginning it hurts to rip pieces where we put countless hours on. But looking back it indeed was a good lesson.

[u/RedditLostOldAccount → u/Sycing]

Absolutely. We get so worried about losing something that when it happens we don't even acknowledge how easy it was to move on

[u/SecondChances002 → u/RedditLostOldAccount]

Username checks out.

[u/Vault101Overseer → u/hiiiigh1312]

I just had a visceral “are they fucking crazy?!” moment. That’s tempting fate or any choice deity not to see infinite humor in burning down that church on the first day it’s completed after hundreds of years of work.

[u/austinchan2 → u/Vault101Overseer]

If only it was completed. They just finished a tower. 

[u/twitch1982 → u/austinchan2]

The final tower. All that's really left is the scarcity and the glory facade. They've also already started restoration on the nativity facade, so its likely that work will just never be truly done, as one project finishes, another one will have to begin.

[u/HavocReigns → u/twitch1982]

You know you're taking your sweet time building something when you have to begin restoration work before completing initial construction. 😆

[u/twitch1982 → u/HavocReigns]

It's actually gone up incredibly fast. Its huge and incredibly intricate. It would be nicer if we built more buildings slowly and with like, any aesthetic details beyond the minimalist rectangles we throw up everywhere now.

[u/lbc_x → u/twitch1982]

We talking CATHEDRAL time frames

[u/kleineveer → u/HavocReigns]

You know, the renovation of the Palais de Justice in Brussels took so long that at one point we started renovating the scaffolding.

[u/o-Valar-Morghulis-o → u/Vault101Overseer]

Have some "faith"... /s

[u/twitch1982 → u/Vault101Overseer]

Rock and concrete is pretty flame retardant. Its not made of wood.

[u/waywithwords → u/Vault101Overseer]

It's all concrete

[u/ProfessionalAd6530 → u/hiiiigh1312]

"It's the tower of Jesus Christ"

*a black silhouette engulfed in sulfur and flames*

[u/Scratchbuttdontsniff → u/ProfessionalAd6530]

and now all I can picture is Andre the Giant in a flaming shroud scaring the soldiers of the Kingdom of Florin...

[u/CASSIROLE84 → u/hiiiigh1312]

It’s made of concrete and stone.

[u/kaplanfx → u/CASSIROLE84]

Yeah I’ve been there, it does not seem particularly burnable.

[u/twitch1982 → u/kaplanfx]

someone even tried in 2011. It ruined the Scarcity, but only took 45 minutes to put out.

[u/TruthOrSF → u/hiiiigh1312]

Jesus would prefer for every cent spent on this project going to feed the poor and hungry.

[u/anally_ExpressUrself → u/TruthOrSF]

You don't think the workers who built this were poor and hungry? Trickle Down Jesus.

[u/JMisGeography → u/TruthOrSF]

2026 and youre still out here Judas Iscariot posting smh

[u/pencilpusher003]

Edit: the structure was damaged by the fireworks and will be closed for repairs. Estimated time to completion: 900 years.

[u/ccReptilelord → u/pencilpusher003]

"We celebrated its completion by blowing it up."

[u/Daniiiiii → u/ccReptilelord]

The Buddhist mandala approach. The journey was reason enough, let us raze the site now.

[u/Completionography → u/Daniiiiii]

DJChrist - Raze The Roof

[u/Lanky-Camera-6017 → u/pencilpusher003]

My great great great great great grandkids are gonna be so excited about that! (And then they blow everthing up again.) 🤣

[u/Direct_Class1281]

Its been under construction for 144 yrs. Its still not done

[u/signious → u/Direct_Class1281]

And it is still one of the quicker built large scale bassiclicas in history. These have always been multi generational projects.

[u/kytheon → u/signious]

Cologne cathedral took 632 years. Compared to that the Notre Dame took 180 years and St Peter took 120 years which seems rather quick.

Edit: I was in Split, Croatia where the cathedral was built from 305 AD, was finished 4 centuries later, and the bell tower is from the 12th century. So much time passed that different countries ruled the area, from Croats to Venetians, affecting every layer of construction as a different architecture style.

[u/xrimane → u/kytheon]

The construction of Cologne cathedral lay dormant for 300 years, so much so that the construction crane on the stump of the South tower became a symbol for the ineptitude of the city, and the people of Cologne quipped that the world would end if the cathedral was finished.

[u/rustybeancake → u/kytheon]

There’s a wall inside York Minster which took so long you can see the carvings change style as it ascends, as different people / generations spent their whole career on it then passed it on.

[u/the-bladed-one → u/rustybeancake]

Similarly in Canterbury cathedral you can see the remains of the original church in the crypts. Seriously incredible stuff

[u/magicmulder → u/kytheon]

Cologne cathedral is famously “never finished”.

[u/Ble4ch_]

ive seen that cathedral in person, it's so unbelievably fucking huge its amazing

[u/Same_Tangerine_5144 → u/Ble4ch_]

I was expecting a shitty tourist attraction but yeah its amazing

[u/Ble4ch_ → u/Same_Tangerine_5144]

the detail throughout the entire building is mind blowing as well, all the statues and carvings and sculptures. it's crazy

[u/Tiny-Plum2713 → u/Ble4ch_]

It's designed by Antoni Gaudí. There are other incredible buildings by him in Barcellona as well. Worth visiting the city just for this.

[u/esoteric_plumbus → u/Tiny-Plum2713]

Park Güell is really cool too, has a bunch of mosaic work by him all across it with the famous iguana statue too

[u/Derangi125 → u/esoteric_plumbus]

And the views of the city are amazing too

[u/trivetsandcolanders → u/Ble4ch_]

The outside is designed to tell the story of the Bible for people who can’t read it. That’s why the carvings are so literal and detailed. The inside of the cathedral, on the other hand, is symbolic - if I remember right, the pillars represent trees in a forest. Seeing the colored light fall through the windows was truly a magical experience.

[u/MrFrankingstein → u/Same_Tangerine_5144]

It was. It’s a beautiful building and while they were doing some detail work on it they had scaffolding on it. Which, is fine, but they draped advertisements over the scaffolding so instead of seeing the structure of one of the most beautiful buildings in Barcelona you got to see the Samsung Galaxy S whatever

[u/ked_man → u/Same_Tangerine_5144]

Same! I went to Barcelona and my wife really wanted to go there. And I was like, nah, who wants to see an old church that’s still under construction.

Blow away doesn’t begin to describe how cool it is to see in real life. We ended up switching some plans and going to all the Gaudi designed things in Barcelona. And have planned a trip back to Spain to see a few more that aren’t in Barcelona.

We accidentally had the most magical dinner at a restaurant that overlooked the roof of Palau Guell and got seated at a window with a perfect view. Didn’t even know what it was when I made the reservation.

[u/BeefistPrime → u/Same_Tangerine_5144]

what I found funny is that across the street surrounding it are things like mcdonalds and KFC and it's like oh yes the great cultural creations of mankind all together in one place

[u/RubberyBallSacks → u/Same_Tangerine_5144]

I expected it to be incredible because it’s Gaudi and it wouldn’t be world famous if it was shitty. And even then I underestimated it.

[u/2112Lerxst → u/Ble4ch_]

Always amazes me how seeing pictures/videos of things can never capture the true size. Similar to mountain landscapes etc...if I take a video or picture of something it doesn't come close to showing the scale of it.

So for people who haven't seen it...this thing is truly massive.

[u/ATXBeermaker → u/2112Lerxst]

Yeah, and imo the interior is even more impressive than the exterior.

[u/_ReaditYesterday_ → u/Ble4ch_]

most beautiful construction I've ever been, it's mesmerizing, I'd invite everyone to go at least once in their life. That and the thousand church in Rome of course!

[u/gilbatron → u/_ReaditYesterday_]

it's been 20 years, it was still in construction, i've seen half of europe in the meantime, and it's still (by far!) the most beautiful building i've ever set foot into. words and pictures can not do it justice.

[u/ff0094ismyfavourite → u/Ble4ch_]

I'm gonna miss the scaffolding inside tho. Felt like entering the tesseract from Interstellar.

[u/swarlesbarkley_]

TOOK EM LONG ENOUGH!

[u/cheesybreadnexttime → u/swarlesbarkley_]

They still have the damn crane in there!! Is it done or not wtf

[u/SliceEm__DiceEm → u/cheesybreadnexttime]

The entire thing is not done, no. Just this most recent tower was completed

There is an estimated ~10 years left on the entire thing

[u/ChymChymX → u/SliceEm__DiceEm]

Jesus Christ

[u/mustbeaoup → u/ChymChymX]

The tower of

[u/RealMidSmoker → u/mustbeaoup]

When does it stop being sagrada and start being Babel, i mean seriously you can only build a tower so tall before you start to have serious consurbshqhh ateriad? Nosfastuh aaaaaaa

[u/Plastic_Pinocchio → u/RealMidSmoker]

To be fair, it has historically been pretty normal for churches to have been built over long time periods.

[u/xkcdthrowaway → u/Plastic_Pinocchio]

Koln cathedral took over half a millenium or something lmao

[u/J3diMind → u/xkcdthrowaway]

Closer to 800 years I think

[u/snek-jazz → u/Plastic_Pinocchio]

this is probably the last new wonder of the world

[u/Hungry_Hat1730 → u/snek-jazz]

If you mean most recent sure. If you mean last ever that's just silly.

[u/Number-unknow → u/RealMidSmoker]

Gaudi was aware of Babel, and deliberately decided that the cathedral's height would be 172.5 meters, just behind the 173 m of the Montjuic hill, since he believed Mankind's creation shouldn't surpass that of God.

[u/Newsmemer → u/Number-unknow]

I now must remove a meter from the hill.

[u/xdoble7x → u/ChymChymX]

Siesta is our saint, dont rush us

[u/Disastrous-Chair-175 → u/ChymChymX]

Be praised. (JCBP)

[u/Nenz0 → u/Disastrous-Chair-175]

Feeling quite hungry

[u/MaguroSashimi8864 → u/Nenz0]

How might Henry react to this building?

[u/trippy_kippy_ → u/SliceEm__DiceEm]

It's like I'm genuinely not trying to be that guy but wouldn't Jeusu want this money to go to actually helping people or actually ending world hunger then to another giant shirne for him? Wouldn't he think he already has enough of them?

[u/Gwanbulance → u/trippy_kippy_]

It's the biggest single tourist attraction in Spain. More than 5 million (paying) visitors a year. It more than pays for itself. I'm an atheist, but it's an absolutely incredible thing to visit.

[u/taco_blasted_ → u/Gwanbulance]

25 years ago I traveled to Spain with my family to visit a sibling studying abroad.

When we arrived in Barcelona, we had to drive across the country to the city where the university was. Before we left, though, my parents insisted they give us a kind of quick tour of Barcelona before the long drive.

At the time, I was a typical 15 year old annoyed teen—jet-lagged as fuck, annoyed, and drifting in and out of sleep in the car, had no idea wtf was going on or where we were.

The one thing that stands out in my memory from that visit is seeing this place. It was absolutely unforgettable.

[u/JGG5 → u/trippy_kippy_]

Beauty has intrinsic value. People deserve beauty, not just utilitarianism. I have problems with a lot of ways churches spend their money, but building majestic and beautiful buildings isn’t one of them.

[u/PatchyWhiskers → u/trippy_kippy_]

It makes people happy to build beautiful things for the community sometimes. And it will probably pay off over the centuries in terms of tourism.

[u/AcherontiaPhlegethon → u/PatchyWhiskers]

There's a lot of things to dislike about the church, but being one of the last bastions of truly aesthetically valuable architecture isn't one of my gripes.

[u/haikuandhoney → u/PatchyWhiskers]

It has probably paid off in tourism already.

[u/Mikic00 → u/haikuandhoney]

It brings like 100m per year through entrance fee alone, and it's not even that expensive. Now, how much it brings to the city is hard to say, but it's a lot.

[u/Best_Assumption_8098 → u/trippy_kippy_]

this church is one of the biggest tourist destinations on earth. Probably makes them money.

[u/WOLFxSHARK → u/trippy_kippy_]

You not aware that the Catholic church is already the largest charitable organization in the world (that isn't a government)? And ending world hunger can already be done, governments just don't want to do it.

[u/LacidOnex → u/WOLFxSHARK]

If only the largest charitable organization could convince just one theocratic oligarchy to... No wait that's stupid

[u/billycottersVP → u/trippy_kippy_]

the Church is already one of the biggest, if not the biggest, religious charitable organization around the world.

[u/Krosis97 → u/trippy_kippy_]

Its an art installation more than a church and it brings immense crowds of tourists to Barcelona. Its paid its prize tag several times over already.

[u/PeteLangosta → u/trippy_kippy_]

This cathedral gets most of its funding through private investors and the visitors paying the entrance.

[u/yash_giri → u/cheesybreadnexttime]

Main tower is finished, whole construction will be completed in 2030s

[u/MaguroSashimi8864 → u/yash_giri]

What else is there to build ?

[u/Gawlf85 → u/MaguroSashimi8864]

Half of the nave lol The actual entrance to the church.

Right now the entrance is done via the side transepts, but the front of the temple is yet to be built.

That's because there's a whole freaking building block where the entrance (and the huge ass staircase leading to it) should be. Because somebody thought "this is going to take ages, might as well build something here and use the terrain for something in the meantime".

And now people live there, and they need to be relocated somewhere else, so the whole block can be flattened and the temple can be finished.

[u/TheCygnusWall → u/Gawlf85]

Right now the entrance is done via the side transepts

Tbf that's historically accurate for pilgrims

[u/Bright-Avocado3761 → u/MaguroSashimi8864]

Dunno, more Jesusy stuff I guess.

[u/Far-Philosophy-4375 → u/cheesybreadnexttime]

Is the spirit of Gaudi himself speaking through you?

[u/det4410 → u/cheesybreadnexttime]

i was waiting to see if the place was gonna burn down from the fireworks. could you imagine after completing this thing and then burning down during celebrations for completing it?

[u/nextalpha → u/swarlesbarkley_]

Imagine the fireworks would've set it on fire lol

[u/Adventurous-Crew3692 → u/swarlesbarkley_]

Caution! This way someone could think it is finished yet.

[u/vass0922 → u/swarlesbarkley_]

Jesus Christ it's only been 144 years!

Give them time!

/s

[u/BatOwn9955 → u/swarlesbarkley_]

and this is not even close to what they wanted at the end.

[u/Death_Tooth]

It's just what Jesus would have wanted.

[u/HelpfulSeaMammal → u/Death_Tooth]

So meek!

[u/Snickits → u/HelpfulSeaMammal]

So humble!

[u/BLU3SKU1L → u/Snickits]

So demure!

[u/ThePanzerMan → u/BLU3SKU1L]

So fully-packed.

[u/Aromatic-Tear7234 → u/ThePanzerMan]

No looking at Jesus's bulge.

[u/Theobviouschild11 → u/Aromatic-Tear7234]

Why not? It’s right up there on the cross for all to see

[u/Aromatic-Tear7234 → u/Theobviouschild11]

It's one of the pillars of faith.

[u/yougotyolks → u/Aromatic-Tear7234]

Don't forget about his tabernacles.

[u/Mostly_Aquitted → u/HelpfulSeaMammal]

They’re meekmaxxing bro, don’t you get it?

[u/zfenty → u/Death_Tooth]

He is really into dark souls.

[u/MachoMachoMurph → u/zfenty]

Anor Londo needs a firework show.

[u/RaidensReturn → u/MachoMachoMurph]

The archers will have to do.

[u/Lavender-bullet46 → u/Death_Tooth]

damn I was juuuust about to comment this lmao

Nothing like a grandiose, expensive structure to reflect the will and philosophy of God himself. smh.

[u/fallawy → u/Lavender-bullet46]

I'm playing god of war, odin lives in a relatively big wood house
you say "I though it would be bigger" the response is "power is power, you don't need to show it"

[u/64557175 → u/Lavender-bullet46]

Reminds me of visiting the Philippines. They have a version of Jesus that's just pure drip.

[u/Lower-Ad-9813 → u/Lavender-bullet46]

Jesus needs your money!

[u/Jmersh → u/Death_Tooth]

Brimstone, which is mentioned several times in the old testament as a sign of Satan, is sulfur salt, which is the flammable ingredient in fireworks. This display is literally fire and brimstone.

[u/postymcpostpost → u/Death_Tooth]

It’s what Clara would have wanted

[u/Too-Many-Usernames4 → u/Death_Tooth]

Churches nowadays are everything Jesus would hate. 

[u/volkof → u/Too-Many-Usernames4]

Nowadays? It’s been this way for ages lol

[u/EnvironmentalFix7059]

I have been there two times, its actually a marvelous building, like i have nothing else to compare it to, maybe Petra but it should definitely be another wonder of the world

[u/Ohnomydude]

If I know Jesus, he sure did love big monuments and celebration of his person.

[u/oviforconnsmythe → u/Ohnomydude]

Honestly I'm so happy this place exists. Ignoring the religious stuff, the Sagrada Familia is beyond doubt the most incredible and utterly beautiful building I've ever seen. The sculptures and masonry on the outside are amazing but it's the interior that really shines. The way the light shines through the stained glass windows and paints the hall in bursts of color is truly jaw dropping! Ill see if I can upload some pictures later (I can't on mobile for some reason) but it's just something you have to see with your own eyes.

Gaudi was truly a master. From what I understand, the natural world was the central inspiration for its design, and its really evident when you go there.eg the central columns branch off into the ceiling and look like trees. So the way I see it, it's a monument to nature, not Jesus. And I'm not religious but it's one of two places in the world where I felt "spiritual" (and I hate that word, so it says a lot)

[u/CASSIROLE84 → u/oviforconnsmythe]

I am the least religious person but I started crying at soon as I walked in, its absolutely beautiful when you look at it as an art piece. It feels like being transported to a magical forest.

[u/oviforconnsmythe → u/CASSIROLE84]

Couldn't agree more. Again, you gotta be there to really experience it but there's something so special about it. I was lucky an also managed to get tickets to climb up inside one of the towers. The view from there is stunning

[u/s0ciety_a5under → u/Ohnomydude]

Instead of taking care of the needy. He said fuck those people. /s

[u/LSATwoes2022 → u/s0ciety_a5under]

Just so you know this is a gift of the faithful, and the charity work that the Sagrada Familia does is INCREDIBLE. Like legit lifesaving stuff for thousands of people. it's pretty neat 😄 People have always built monuments to the things they love

[u/ATXBeermaker → u/s0ciety_a5under]

You're probably not familiar with the Sagrada Familia Social Action Fund. People that visit this site donate tons. Some go to the architectural construction. Some goes to helping the needy in and around Barcelona.

For what it's worth, I'm not remotely religious. I just also try not to be overly cynical.

[u/QuadingleDingle → u/s0ciety_a5under]

The Catholic Church is the world's largest non governmental charity btw.

[u/citizen234567890]

“Maaaaaaaaaaaaybe stop with the pyrotechnics.”
-Notre Dame, probably

[u/twitch1982 → u/citizen234567890]

"I wish i was made out of rock and concrete"

-Notre Dame, more likely

[u/dips009]

I was there last year, regardless of how you feel about religion, it's a site to see. Humans are incredible.

[u/lavahot → u/dips009]

It is both a site and a sight to see.

[u/_plebbie → u/[deleted]]

It's been funded entirely by private donations. Art is not a waste of money.

[u/crabuffalombat → u/[deleted]]

It's both, really.

As with many of the great cathedrals in Europe. They're easily the most impressive structures on the continent - both enormous in scale and intricately detailed. You're overcome with awe looking up at them, but I also couldn't help but wonder how much money was pissed away on these things and what good could've been done with it instead.

They're also an indicator of how powerful and wealthy the church has been in Europe over the last millennia or so.

[u/MourningWallaby → u/[deleted]]

People who visited it in person: people who Go outside every once in a while

People who haven't: people who don't go outside and get their opinions from a lifetime on reddit.

[u/panlakes → u/MourningWallaby]

This is the only reason I travel. To renew my Not-a-Redditor license

[u/AnyProgressIsGood → u/MourningWallaby]

TIL going outside = visiting a very particular spot of Spain

[u/Anyadpitschaja]

Imagine that it is burned down by fireworks when it is just finished.

[u/roryeinuberbil → u/Anyadpitschaja]

The tower is finished, but the construction of other parts of the church is still ongoing.

[u/yeahsurebuddystfu → u/Anyadpitschaja]

Construction guys: That's job security baby

[u/WellMax81]

Can’t believe we got Sagrada Família before GTA 6

[u/FittyTheBone]

I’m just here for the Gaudi glazing. Love that guy.

[u/CataLaGata]

I am an atheist but all these jokes about Jesus are very ignorant and short-sighted.

La Sagrada Familia is not just another church, is an architectural milestone.

If you go to Barcelona, please do the tour. To understand what Gaudí designed, how did he do it and why did he do it it's marvelous.

Also, the building is so breathtaking, I have never been in a place like that, you feel like you are walking through a forest, it's so peaceful. And the reason it has been taken this long is because they are trying to build it like Gaudí specified, using technology as least as they can.

I absolutely love it's simplicity, compared to St. Peter's Basilica that is full of stuffs like corpes of Popes and riches and gold and it almost feels like you can't breathe, La Sagrada Familia is something really special, is the complete opposite.

[u/barsonica → u/CataLaGata]

Seconded.

After rowing up in Europe, all churches eventually look the same to me. But not this one. Not La Sagrada Familia. It is the most beautiful building I ever stood in.

[u/FurdTergusonFucks → u/barsonica]

Where did you row in from? I just took a plane.

[u/bydh → u/CataLaGata]

Thanks for helping us all better appreciate Gaudi and his architectural genius. I went to see it about a decade ago. It was pretty cool. Lots of scaffolding on the outside at the time. That said, I thought the Jesus jokes were pretty funny, too.

[u/Fit_Ocelot8072 → u/CataLaGata]

The Christianity hate in this section is crazy

[u/bitemy → u/Fit_Ocelot8072]

I think that's because Christianity has been the source of staggering amounts of hatred and oppression and abuse for hundreds of years.

[u/FrostyOscillator]

Jesus, that's magical af

[u/ThreeTreesForTheePls]

Fucking hell man, even as an atheist, this thread is beyond insufferable.

If you haven’t seen this in person, maybe it makes sense to be snarky, it is a lot of the default settings on here, but man the scale and detail of this building is unlike anything I’ve been lucky enough to observe.

It really might be one of the most remarkable pieces of architecture we’ve ever created.

[u/kovwas]

The next event on the program was walking up to tourists and telling them to get the fuck out of Barcelona

[u/MildlyInteressato]

All I could think was 144 years under construction, and they're going to find a way to burn it down...

[u/SteveSteveFosho]

Now that it's built let's try really hard to set it on fire!

[u/coreynj]

Back in 2016 I went with a university honor choir to Europe and we sang here! The stained glass inside is GORGEOUS

[u/CaLMLiKEaB0Mb5]

Beautiful 🤞🏾✝️

[u/LizViz]

I’ll believe it’s completed, when they finally remove the crane……

[u/nomamesgueyz]

Amazing building

And typical annoyed responses by Reddit adds to the entertainment 🍿

[u/West_Ad_8246]

Is it controversial to think this building is kind of ugly? To me it kinda resembles a bunch of stalagmites in a cave

[u/bbluemuse → u/West_Ad_8246]

Have you been inside? The outside isn’t the most spectacular part. I am an atheist but when I saw the inside of that building I cried, I stayed in there for hours watching the light move through the windows. I have never ever seen a building as stunning as the inside of the Sagrada Familia.

Also, the termite mound/stalactite thing is a compliment to me. Gaudi believed that nature, as God’s creation, was the ultimate blueprint. His architecture is inspired by nature, sometimes down to every detail, which you can see in his buildings throughout Barcelona if you visit. He makes ceiling structures inspired by whales ribcages, stairways thst mimic coming up from the deep of the ocean. The Sagrada Familia is all the more special to me because it isn’t ornate in the style of other Catholic churches, its columns curl and its exterior has texture and roughness, like it could be part of a natural landscape. Built by so many loving human hands throughout generations in the image of their God’s design. I think stalactites are beautiful and so is the church!

[u/PhysicallyTender → u/West_Ad_8246]

Finally. Had to scroll down pretty far to find this.

It looks like the equivalent of splashing paint onto a wall and calling it art. Some people might appreciate it, but I'm just not feeling it.

[u/cpMetis → u/West_Ad_8246]

Been my controversial architecture opinion for a loooobg time.

I fully understand it's impressive. I just don't think it actually looks cool.

[u/Zadiath]

It was founded by private capitals and tourism, no need to start complaining lol.

[u/Cloverose2]

And then they burn it all down and start again!

(Seriously, it's a really cool building and people should go see it)

[u/your_old_furby → u/Cloverose2]

I did but they hadn’t finished it yet. I’ll wait until they build the big stairs case in the front, which they claim will be the final piece. So in 20 to 50 years.

[u/Raptorjesusftw87]

Just in time for the Lego Release.

[u/OkBus3544]

What's kinda cool is that gaudi explicitly designed the church to be slightly shorter than the montjuic hill, Because he belived nothing man made has to surpass the work of its creator

And the fireworks also seem to never Reach higher than the tallest tower itself. They really kept their promise

[u/throwawaydrytoad]

gaudi would have lost his mind seeing this finished. legit wild to see the final spire up.

[u/mslauren2930]

I was there a few years ago. It is amazing. ❤️❤️

[u/TastingSounds]

is everyone here a bot?? it’s fireworks it’s not that deep lmfao

stunning building

[u/leonidganzha]

American protestants when a church is not an office space box in the middle of a parking lot: 🤬🤬🤬

[u/tajake]

I really don't think the commenters understand that something can just be art. Art that has taken lifetimes to accomplish. It's worth celebrating.

[u/Luki-099]

Ya dejen de tirar Hate, España lleva trabajando en esto por años, es hermoso ¿que más importa?

[u/Mukwic → u/Luki-099]

Yea and Spain is actually a pretty progressive country compared to the rest of Europe right now.

Stones and glass houses type shit.

[u/organicchunkysalsa → u/Luki-099]

Exactly. I celebrate the architect, not the religion.

[u/Luki-099 → u/organicchunkysalsa]

No soy Cristiano, pero es complejamente bonito

[u/Major-Proof7006]

Right that’s it last brick, we’re finished. Now let’s burn this mother down. 

[u/amonlb]

Its a Wonder Victory I gues

[u/fotoRS3]

And Lego is releasing this thing as their largest set yet. Like 12,000 pieces.

[u/HolidayHoodude]

People complaining about how long this took forgetting that Cologne Cathedral took 600 lol!

[u/Kothica]

I was there a few years back when it was under construction. It was magnificent back then. Good to know it is completed now. Ty.

[u/StrongAdhesiveness86 → u/Kothica]

It's still in construction and a long way of being finished.

[u/Pasito_Tun_Tun_D1]

What a beauty this was to see when I visited Barcelona 10 years ago !

[u/Budget_Village_8377]

Aaaand it’s gone

[u/Yavanna83]

This took centuries and then they use fireworks to celebrate. They really, really have a lot of faith!

[u/gravyandasideofbread]

I can’t believe we lived to see it finished, our lifetimes! This has been such a long time coming

[u/Helpful-Internet-555]

I'm an atheist but damn I love their architecture. 100% worth the celebration.

[u/natethebestt]

what in the erika kirk

[u/gayefairy]

i seem to remember god being very angry about idols at some point....guess they never read that part.

[u/Jeansene]

I could already smell the BO just coming into this comment section. Who’s first reaction to seeing a sick ass cathedral is: “ermmm time to dunk on the Christian normies🤓” my god

[u/Snick13fritz]

Lost like a waste of time and money