Sagrada Família

Gaudí’s Masterpiece: The Final Chapter

For more than 140 years, Catalonians have watched the Sagrada Família take shape over Barcelona. Now finally completed, on the centenary of Gaudí’s death, its silhouette is already well known across the world.

Antoni Gaudí left behind plans and fragments of plaster models, leaving generations of architects and engineers to decipher and complete the monumental vision, all while keeping a working construction site open to millions of visitors every year.

We will be hearing from one of the key engineers responsible for completing the cathedral, as well as a world-renowned architectural historian, to discuss the building of this iconic landmark and the immense responsibility of its conclusion.  

Against an ever-evolving backdrop of design and faith, the building of the basilica has helped to forge the identity of Catalonia. Join us for a remarkable story of structural ingenuity, unfinished vision and the discipline of building for a future you may never see.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERs

Dr. Josep Maria Garcia-Fuentes

Josep Maria Garcia-Fuentes is an architect, scholar, and Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy. His research explores the intersections of architecture, ecology, heritage, and the idea of nature, with a focus on how architecture responds to contemporary environmental and cultural challenges.

His work has examined the role of architecture in shaping cultural identity, including the transformation of Montserrat and the place of Antoni Gaudí within the environmental and cultural history of modern Catalonia. Previously, he held academic positions at Newcastle University and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. He also maintains an active design practice through the Milan-based architecture studio BMBR, co-founded with Marco Chiodi.

Steve McKechnie

Steve is an award-winning structural engineer and Structural Engineering Discipline Leader for Arup London, leading multidisciplinary and structural engineering design teams for projects in London and across the world.

He studied Engineering Science at the University of Exeter and has spent close to four decades designing buildings of remarkable range and ambition — from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 to 8 Bishopsgate and The Scalpel in the City of London. He is currently leading the design of retrofits at The Acre in Covent Garden and Park Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge, as well as work at the Basilica of La Sagrada Família in Barcelona, completing Gaudí’s astonishing design using prestressed stone masonry.

CELEBRATE 30 YEARS OF DESIGN WEST

This September, Design West celebrates three decades of shaping better places for people and planet.

To launch our 30th anniversary celebrations, we’re throwing a party following our Sagrada Família talk. Book a special Anniversary Supporter Ticket for entry to both the talk and the party afterwards, at The Architect, Design West. Your ticket also includes a drink and nibbles.

Join us in raising a glass to the Design West charity, as we celebrate the transformative power of design and all the people that have been part of our journey.

Our talks are open to the public and professionals alike.
The event takes place at Arnolfini, Bristol, BS1 4QA