Gaudí's Sagrada Familia Uses Catenary Arches and Pre-Stressed Stone to Reach 172.5m

Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, has become the world's tallest church at 172.5 meters (566 feet) with the inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ on the centenary of his death. Gaudí rejected flying buttresses, which he called 'crutches,' instead using catenary arches inspired by the ancient Arch of Taq-iKisra in Iraq. These arches allow the structure to support its own weight efficiently. To address weight issues in the 138-meter Tower of the Virgin Mary, engineers from Arup introduced pre-stressed stone panels with internal steel tendons, adding compression to resist wind tension. This method was later used for five other central towers. Gaudí's tree-like branching columns inside the nave further reduce weight. The church remains unfinished, with the Glory Façade still to be completed. Modern technologies like drones and AI now survey cracks, replacing climbers who took two years. Pope Leo XIV visited for the inauguration. Gaudí died in 1926 after being struck by a tram, leaving behind sketches and models that were destroyed in the Spanish Civil War.