There are few words, I think, that could even begin to describe the prolific works of Antoni Gaudi.
Standing outside, the under-construction towers seem to lack uniformity and the fluidity of his other buildings. Five million things seem to be happening at once, to dizzying effect.
Inside, however, this all changes. A forest of colored pillars rises around you, light streams in through leaded windows, and the ceiling fans out above like a canopy of leaves. Here, everything comes together in the most hyperbolic* feat of architecture I have ever seen. I wish my dad had been here to see it too.
Before climbing these towers of the Sagrada Familia, I had never experienced any sort of vertigo with heights. But, built to reach as close to heaven as the nearest mountains, the spindly towers and narrow steeple steps had my knees shaking. This great cathedral really does touch the sky.
*During the audio guided tour, they continually referred to the architecture as "hyperbolic" which I assumed meant prone to hyperbole. Later I found this is not true at all, but refers instead to a mathematical term regarding a hyperbola triangle. Facts aside, I am rather partial to my definition and will continue to regard this architectural style as "prone to exaggeration".
