What’s the shape of wonder?

La Sagrada Familia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the basilica is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, envisioned with 18 spires.

The glimpses of incomplete spires, piercing the deep blue sky, playing hide and seek with ordinary buildings nearby, appeared over the treetops long before the church itself. I was in Barcelona, and the spires belonged to the Basilica de la Sagrada Família — the city’s most iconic and most visited landmark.

Still under construction, the basilica is synonymous with architect Antoni Gaudí, whose creations inspire both awe and debate. Born in 1852, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was one of the foremost proponents of Catalan Modernisme (Catalan Art Nouveau). Drawing from Oriental forms, neo-Gothic art, and the rhythms of nature and faith, Gaudí developed a distinctive, fluid style that merged ceramics, stained glass, wrought iron, and woodwork into living, organic structures. Revered as “God’s Architect” for the spiritual imagery in his works, Gaudí was declared “Venerable” by Pope Francis in April 2025 — a step toward sainthood. Most of Gaudí’s masterpieces stand in Barcelona, and between 1984 and 2005, seven of them were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including his unfinished magnum opus, La Sagrada Família.

La Sagrada Família

Rising near the heart of Barcelona, Sagrada Família’s story began in 1882 under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. A year later, Gaudí took charge, transforming the original design with his signature blend of Gothic and Art Nouveau influences.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the basilica is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, envisioned with 18 spires. When completed, the tallest spire — representing Jesus Christ — will rise 172.5 meters, crowned with a luminous cross. The church features three grand façades:

The Nativity Façade (East): A celebration of life, rich with vines, leaves, and the Tree of Life, where turtles, tortoises, and chameleons symbolise the sea, land, and transformation.

The Passion Façade (West): Stark and angular, depicting Christ’s suffering.

The Glory Façade (South): Still under construction, representing the road to salvation.

Inside, towering columns branch out like trees, filling the space with a forest of stone and light. The coloured stained-glass windows cast a rainbow across the interiors, creating a spiritual symphony of light. This monumental church — part sculpture, part forest, part prayer — is Barcelona’s identity carved in stone, and Gaudí’s greatest devotion.

Casa Milà

Just 500 meters from Casa Batlló on Passeig de Gràcia stands Casa Milà, constructed between 1906 and 1912 for industrialist Pere Milà. Gaudí designed the building as a continuous curve, inside and out, earning it the nickname La Pedrera — “the stone quarry.”

Its undulating limestone façade, twisted wrought-iron balconies, and organic rooftop forms embody movement and nature. The roof itself, adorned with mosaic and marble fragments, hosts surreal chimneys, nicknamed espanta bruixes (“witch scarers”), that resemble helmeted warriors or snails.

Though criticised for its unconventional appearance at the time, Casa Milà was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Today, it’s celebrated as a “work of art” and serves as a venue for exhibitions and cultural programs. Author Dan Brown immortalised it in his novel Origin.

Casa Batlló

A few steps away, Casa Batlló stands as one of Gaudí’s most whimsical masterpieces. Designed in 1904, it resembles something between a skeleton and a dragon. Locals call it Casa dels Ossos — “House of Bones” — because of its skeletal balconies and irregularly shaped windows.

Its façade shimmers with green, blue, and golden mosaics made from broken ceramic tiles — Gaudí’s signature trencadís technique. The roof, arching like a dragon’s back, glitters with scaled tiles in blues and greens, while a bulbous tower evokes the thalamus of a flower: nature, once again, reborn in architecture.

Wedged between traditional row houses, Casa Batlló became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, a vivid example of Gaudí’s genius for merging fantasy with function.

Park Güell

Gaudí’s playful spirit finds full expression in Park Güell, a kaleidoscopic blend of architecture and landscape. Built between 1900 and 1914, the park was added to the UNESCO list in 1984. Its entrance is guarded by the famed dragon fountain “El Drac,” covered in bright mosaic tiles, a symbol of protection and imagination. Serpentine benches, whimsical pavilions, and fluid mosaic walls evoke a fairytale world. From the park’s highest terrace, visitors can gaze across Barcelona, with the spires of Sagrada Família visible in the distance.

Gaudi’s legacy

When Gaudí died in 1926, struck by a tram, he was laid to rest in the crypt of the Sagrada Família — his life’s unfinished masterpiece. Nearly a century later, his designs continue to shape Barcelona’s skyline and spirit.