The neighbors of the Barcelona temple Sagrada Familia are fighting against its completion

Barcelona - Residents of Barcelona who live near the Sagrada Familia temple are not giving up their fight against the completion of this landmark. This was reported today by the AFP agency. Part of the plan involves the construction of a monumental staircase and square, which would require the demolition of nearby houses. Apartment owners refuse to accept this and question whether the staircase was part of the original design by architect Antoni Gaudí. According to estimates, the work could affect up to 10,000 people.

The final stage of construction of the well-known temple includes the realization of the square, staircase, and main façade of the temple. The work is managed by a private foundation that finances it primarily through admission fees to the temple. For this reason, the construction was slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic, as visitor numbers significantly decreased.

"Our apartments are legal," reads a banner that flutters on the façade of one of the buildings that would have to be torn down for the temple. "Sagrada Familia owns one plot of land, but is not the owner of the rest," states Salvador Barroso, chairman of the residents' association that refuses to vacate their homes for the construction of the staircase. The residents also claim that they were originally unaware that their homes would have to give way to the temple in the future. Barroso asserts that he bought his apartment in the 1980s but only learned about the potential construction in 1992.

According to media reports, the zoning plan from 1976 includes provisions for the staircase. However, the buildings on Mallorca Street that are to be demolished received building permits a year earlier, according to RTVE. The current plan for the staircase is said to affect about 10,000 people and 50 businesses.

Residents affected by the construction claim that the original Gaudí plans did not account for the staircase at all. They point out that a large portion of the original models and plans was destroyed during the civil war in the 1930s. However, this was denied by the chief architect of the temple, Jordi Faulí, who stated that the current plans faithfully replicate Gaudí's original intentions. According to him, this was derived from plans and documents that survived the civil war.

Ultimately, it will be the Barcelona city hall that decides whether the block of houses on Mallorca Street will be demolished. According to media reports, the staircase still does not have a valid building permit. It is also unclear who would eventually finance the expropriation of the buildings and the relocation of residents.