Barcelona’s Chief Architect, Maria Buhigas, has questioned the way Antoni Gaudí is often described, and has also raised doubts about whether the Sagrada Família needs to be finished. Her comments come as Barcelona holds the title of World Capital of Architecture.
Buhigas said she prefers La Pedrera, also known as Casa Milà, to the basilica. She described it as “brutal” in its design, and said Gaudí solved a corner of the Eixample with skill. She also pointed to the building’s light, the comfort of its homes, and the open-plan floors made possible by its structure.
She placed Gaudí in the context of Barcelona’s industrial growth and the start of the modern city, when the city expanded beyond its medieval walls and new technologies such as electricity and cars arrived. Buhigas said that, apart from Palau Güell, Gaudí’s work responded to that urban logic, creating buildings and spaces for a changing city rather than only individual houses.
Barcelona is marking both the World Capital of Architecture year and the Gaudí Year, alongside the Cerdà Year. Buhigas said the city programme focuses on architecture more broadly, while the Catalan government’s Culture Department is handling the Gaudí Year, which has centred largely on the Sagrada Família. She said Gaudí-related activity was redirected to that separate programme.
On the Sagrada Família itself, Buhigas said she last visited before the pandemic, when she climbed as far as her vertigo allowed on the then-under-construction Jesus tower. She questioned the need to complete the basilica, and warned against turning historical figures into myths. She also said the City Council is not prioritising completion, because other issues on Mallorca street, linked to the planned plaza and the Glory façade staircase, need to be resolved first.
She said the project should only go ahead if the conditions are right and the rights of the people involved are respected. For readers following Barcelona architecture and city planning, see our Community and Sport pages for more local coverage and city updates.
