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Evolution of the Formwork Used in the Temple of the Sagrada Família

2009; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 3; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/15583050802226470

1558-3066

Josep Gómez-Serrano, Ramón Espel, Rosa Grima, Mark Burry, Antonio Aguado,

Historical Art and Architecture Studies

Abstract The Sagrada Família is Gaudi's unfinished work, to which he exclusively dedicated his last years of life. Even though he only got to build a small part of the total, he defined the rest through models and photographs. Gaudi's design for the inside of the Temple was based on a new geometric architecture that made extensive use of ruled surfaces (paraboloids, hyperboloids, ellipsoids), opening a new field which later architects have followed. The following article aims at showing the construction complexity of these structures, especially in relation to the set-up of their formwork. The vaults, which cover the naves at 30, 45, and 60 m heights, will be discussed. This discussion will show how the construction method, and in consequence the formwork, is adapted to the construction needs according to the geometric shape, size, position, material, and repetitions of each vault. KEY WORDS: GaudiSagrada Fami´liageometric architectureformworkmoldsView correction statement:Erratum ACKNOWLEDGEMENT To the management and the workers of the Temple of the Sagrada Família for their help during the years in all the processes. Notes 1. Noucentisme was an architectonic style quite in fashion in Catalonia between the 1910s and 1930s, which was based on the use of classic orders. 2. Note that the term concrete is not used today to refer to that material in Catalan, the term formigó is used instead. Gaudí's use of the word concrete, derived from English, shows to what extent it was still a very new material at the time, as there was no specific word for it in Catalan yet.