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I’ve only seen it in pictures, but I’m not a fan either. Looks completely secular, might as well be a concert hall or something. Maybe that’s the point, throw a

I’ve only seen it in pictures, but I’m not a fan either. Looks completely secular, might as well be a concert hall or something. Maybe that’s the point, throw an as wide net as possible to appeal to everyone to try to justify the cost.

simonklitj 3y ago
This is an interesting comment to me! How do you define secular-looking? Is it a lack of some particular design element?
- Tabular-Iceberg 3y ago
  It simply lacks Catholic design elements. The stained glass is a jumble of nonsense, not even a nice pattern like the Muslims do, and I suppose there is an altar and a crucifix in there somewhere, but they drown in all the visual clutter, like they’re ashamed of it. It’s possible, even likely, that the pictures don’t do it justice, so I will take a look in person at some point, but I don’t have high hopes.
  - AlanYx 3y ago
    There's a rhyme and reason to the stained glass that's tied into the other symbolic elements embedded in the architecture. For example, the color scheme shifts as you pan from the nativity side through to the passion side. The lower panels are not totally abstract; there are vague shapes that sort of remind you of figures, flames, etc. but then it tends to pivot towards full geometric abstraction as you raise your head. Like the Mezquita in Córdoba, it's hard to get a sense of how intensely all the combined elements make an impression just from photographs.
  - fvdessen 3y ago
    The whole church is completely covered in innumerable fractals of catholic symbolism and its main tower will be topped by a 29 meters high cross. Maybe you just don't like the style, which is understandable as it is quite divisive.
rsynnott 3y ago
Secular? I mean, it's not conventional 19th century cathedral design, certainly, but it has more religious symbolism than you can shake a stick at. Gaudi himself was deeply religious; this wasn't just the church commissioning a famous architect for the sake of it or anything. It was very much a labour of love for him, AIUI.
- Tabular-Iceberg 3y ago
  I had to think it over, but here’s what I mean: The two temples and all the subsequent churches from the time of Solomon up to and including the nineteenth century may have looked radically different in terms of architectural style, but what they had in common is that they were unambiguously constructed for offering propitiatory sacrifices to God. Churches built after that are instead built for offering a meal to mortal humans. If that’s not a secular activity, then it’s one of a completely different religion. In fact the transformation of the twentieth century was a far more radical change than the one going from the old to the new covenant, in that it has rejected both of them. Of course like all the other new age hippie nonsense that came from that century it will eventually fall out of fashion, just like Arianism eventually did despite the Church apparently being completely overcome with it. The question is just how long it will take.
- Tabular-Iceberg 3y ago
  I can’t see it in the interior shots. It’s possible that it’s all there but drowned out by bad HDR photography, so I will have to take a look for myself. Also I’m not sure if it’s really Gaudí’s work, for example how the altar is way forward is an innovation from the 1970s.

simonklitj 3y ago

This is an interesting comment to me! How do you define secular-looking? Is it a lack of some particular design element?

Tabular-Iceberg 3y ago
It simply lacks Catholic design elements. The stained glass is a jumble of nonsense, not even a nice pattern like the Muslims do, and I suppose there is an altar and a crucifix in there somewhere, but they drown in all the visual clutter, like they’re ashamed of it. It’s possible, even likely, that the pictures don’t do it justice, so I will take a look in person at some point, but I don’t have high hopes.
- AlanYx 3y ago
  There's a rhyme and reason to the stained glass that's tied into the other symbolic elements embedded in the architecture. For example, the color scheme shifts as you pan from the nativity side through to the passion side. The lower panels are not totally abstract; there are vague shapes that sort of remind you of figures, flames, etc. but then it tends to pivot towards full geometric abstraction as you raise your head. Like the Mezquita in Córdoba, it's hard to get a sense of how intensely all the combined elements make an impression just from photographs.
- fvdessen 3y ago
  The whole church is completely covered in innumerable fractals of catholic symbolism and its main tower will be topped by a 29 meters high cross. Maybe you just don't like the style, which is understandable as it is quite divisive.

rsynnott 3y ago

Secular? I mean, it's not conventional 19th century cathedral design, certainly, but it has more religious symbolism than you can shake a stick at. Gaudi himself was deeply religious; this wasn't just the church commissioning a famous architect for the sake of it or anything. It was very much a labour of love for him, AIUI.

Tabular-Iceberg 3y ago
I had to think it over, but here’s what I mean: The two temples and all the subsequent churches from the time of Solomon up to and including the nineteenth century may have looked radically different in terms of architectural style, but what they had in common is that they were unambiguously constructed for offering propitiatory sacrifices to God. Churches built after that are instead built for offering a meal to mortal humans. If that’s not a secular activity, then it’s one of a completely different religion. In fact the transformation of the twentieth century was a far more radical change than the one going from the old to the new covenant, in that it has rejected both of them. Of course like all the other new age hippie nonsense that came from that century it will eventually fall out of fashion, just like Arianism eventually did despite the Church apparently being completely overcome with it. The question is just how long it will take.
Tabular-Iceberg 3y ago
I can’t see it in the interior shots. It’s possible that it’s all there but drowned out by bad HDR photography, so I will have to take a look for myself. Also I’m not sure if it’s really Gaudí’s work, for example how the altar is way forward is an innovation from the 1970s.