Adam Husicka
CONSTRUCTION on Barcelona’s iconic basilica continues, with its height now reaching 155.58 metres, just edging out the city’s previous tallest buildings, the Torre Mapfre and Hotel Arts, both standing at 154 metres.
These twin skyscrapers had dominated the skyline since the 1992 Olympic boom.
Designed by Antoni Gaudí and under construction since 1882, the Sagrada Familia is finally nearing completion. The tallest and final spire, the Tower of Jesus Christ, is expected to reach 172.5 metres by 2026.
As of now, however, the Sagrada Familia is only two metres from overtaking the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, which is currently the tallest in Europe.
Gaudí deliberately chose this height so the basilica would remain slightly lower than Montjuic mountain (177.72m), in line with his belief that human creations should not surpass the works of nature.
Within the city limits, the only structure taller than the Sagrada Familia is the Collserola Tower (244m), a communications tower located in the hills above Barcelona—but technically outside the urban grid.
So how does it stack up against the rest of Spain?
Over recent decades, Spain’s skylines have grown rapidly, especially in Madrid, but also in tourist-heavy coastal cities like Benidorm, where high-rises lend a Dubai-like atmosphere.
Currently, the four tallest buildings in Spain all sit within Madrid’s Cuatro Torres Business Area, ranging between 230 and 249 metres in height.
These skyscrapers were all finished simultaneously in 2008, and now form an integral part of the city’s Madrid Nuevo Norte development project, one of Europe’s biggest urban renewal projects.
Next on the list is Benidorm’s Residencial Intempo (202m) and Gran Hotel Bali (186m), both of which tower above the Costa Blanca coastline.
Completed in 2021, the Intempo is not just an architectural landmark, it’s also the tallest residential building in Europe, with 47 floors and apartments priced between €250,000 and €2 million.
The rest of Spain’s top ten includes additional towers in Madrid, along with two major additions from elsewhere: Torre Sevilla (180m) and Torre Iberdrola (165m) in Bilbao – both completed in the past 15 years.
Unfortunately for Bilbao, their Torre Iberdrola is soon to be knocked down a notch.
Once completed, the Sagrada Familia will overtake it by around seven metres, sliding into ninth place among Spain’s tallest buildings.
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