Thursday 26 April 2012

Gaudí, Sagrada Familia


Gaudí's  Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) has attracted a huge amount of attention. Here are a few selected links that should help with deeper study of Gaudi's 'Expiatory Temple'.

General
Introductory video from SmartHistory site.
Generalitat Heritage profile of Gaudí's works, includes text on Sagrada Família. Short video on Gaudí, architect and craftsman.
There is a lot of information on the official website, including link to a Sagrada Familia app and a Virtual Tour.
Film on Gaudi's works (French) includes discussion of SF.
Short film (1 minute) on the projected completion of the building

Public and Critical Reaction
From its inception to its near-completion, the Sagrada Família has been controversial. The following give a flavour of the debate.
Josep Miquel Sobrer, 'Against Barcelona? Gaudí, the City and Nature', Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies, 6 (2002), 205-219. Account of the building's relation to the city, and reactions to it.
Austen Ivereigh, 'Why Gaudí's Sagrada Família is a cathedral for our times' applauds the building in its current state.
Rowan Moore, 'Sagrada Família: Gaudí's cathedral is nearly finished, but would he have approved of it?' is less convinced.

Mathematics
It is quite a relief to retreat from heated debate into the pure world of Gaudi's paraboloids, conoids, ellipses and helicoids.
Gaudinian Geometry explores forms used across Gaudí's works.
The Accidental Mathematician (Izabella Laba) gives a gentle introduction to 'The Sagrada Familia and the hyperbolic paraboloid'
Gaudi's shapes are analysed in A Simple Explanation of Absolutely Everything which combines maths and spirituality.
Gaudi and CAD is on the use of digital and computer modelling in the project
Art and Mathematics in Antoni Gaudí's Architecture goes into depth on the forms employed.