For Antoni Gaudi, the completion of the Sagrada Familia was always a matter of time, not imagination. He knew exactly how the six central towers should look. However, he could not have known that more than a century later, technology would prove he was right.
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The towers are now completed – just in time to mark the centenary of the legendary Spanish architect’s death. But behind this historic architectural achievement lies a hero you would hardly expect to find in a cathedral of this scale: glue.
More precisely – the “Loctite EA 9497” adhesive produced by Henkel, which allowed stone and steel in the structure to act as if they were a single material.
The challenge was enormous. The towers were built using a modular system of pre-stressed stone slabs. There are 826 in total, incorporating more than 2100 stone elements connected with metal structures.
Each slab required about 30 kilograms of adhesive. In total, 24 tons of liquid glue were used, capable of filling every gap and strengthening the joint. Then begins a curing process lasting about 24 hours.
Each slab required about 30 kilograms of adhesive.
Up to 100,000 people per square meter
The result of this solution is not only aesthetic but also structurally significant. The joint formed by the adhesive can withstand loads equivalent to the weight of 100,000 people per square meter – that would be the entire Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona or 1600 African elephants.
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This figure helps to understand how the tallest tower of the complex – the Tower of Jesus Christ – can support the huge cross crowning it without reducing the stability of the structure.
The basilica’s environment is also important. Sagrada Familia is just over two kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea, so the building is constantly exposed to salty air and faces a constant risk of corrosion. Two underground metro lines also continuously send vibrations through the entire structure.
Henkel and Sagrada Familia have been collaborating for more than a decade. During this time, tests have exceeded usual standards, and the supply and logistics chain had to be adapted to a rather rare project in the construction world: Sagrada Familia is funded solely by visitors, so its construction had neither a predetermined deadline nor a final budget.
The tallest religious temple in the world
The result of all this work has already become part of history. At 172.5 meters tall, Sagrada Familia is now the tallest religious temple in the world, surpassing the Ulm Cathedral in Germany.
“This project shows how innovation and collaboration continue to drive progress,” says Adrián Orbea, president of Henkel Ibérica.
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