Sagrada Família reaches final height of 172.5 metres as cross is installed atop Tower of Jesus

The Sagrada Família completed the Tower of Jesus Christ, the basilica's central tower, on Friday, reaching its maximum height of 172.5 metres. 

The tower has been steadily rising since 2017, and at the end of October last year the process of installing the cross began in several phases, a milestone that made the basilica the tallest church in the world.

The manoeuvres to place the upper arm were the last remaining step at the top of the temple. 

First, the lower arm was put in place, followed by the horizontal arms, and on Friday the upper arm was installed. 

The cross crowning the tower measures 17 metres in height, roughly the equivalent of a five-storey building, and spans 13.5 metres in width.

Speaking to the media after this milestone, the chief architect and coordinator of the Sagrada Família, Jordi Faulí, said that it is an important day in the history of the basilica. 

"It is an important day, both to celebrate and to remember the people who designed the cross based on Gaudí’s ideas and drawings, and those who today and in recent weeks have been working on the cross to make this possible," he said.

For now, the cross is still covered by a kind of scaffolding. Faulí explained that the inside of the cross is not yet finished and that, now it has been installed, a series of interior details will be completed. 

He said that in a few weeks the scaffolding will begin to be dismantled, allowing the cross to be seen in its final form from the outside.

The cross, he noted, is light despite its size. It consists of four arms, plus a lower and an upper section, with fluted windows, and is made entirely of white ceramic and glass so that it shines. 

Inside, the cross is hollow, as Gaudí intended, and therefore people will be able to access it, offering a 180-degree view over Barcelona.

With this final piece in place, the upper structure of the basilica is now complete, 144 years after the first stone was laid.

The inauguration is scheduled for June 10, to coincide with the centenary of architect Antoni Gaudí’s death. 

Regarding the possibility of the Pope attending and presiding over the ceremony, the temple’s architect said the Vatican has not yet confirmed whether the Pope will be present.