Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia is one of Barcelonas most popular tourist attraction. It is a roman catholic church located in the heart of Barcelona/ Spain. This great building was designed in a gothic style by Antoni Gaudi who lived from 1852-1926. Antoni Gaudi was a spanish catalan architect and his works are always marked by his own individual style. In 1882 the constructions began and in 1883 Gaudi became involved. So you have to remember that Gaudi was not the primary designer but Paula del Villar. After one year she retired and Gaudi started his project and changed the designs completly. From day one the church is financed by private donations. That is why it is still incompleted after 129 years but the expected date will be in 2026. A very special thing happened on 7th November 2010. The Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed Sagrada Familia to a minor basilica. More than 7500 persons were inside the Sagrada Familia and about 500 000 persons waited in the streets at the same time to celebrated the Mass in the Cathedral. Today about 2,5 million visitors per year save the completion by their entrance. The Sagrada Familie will have 18 towers and four on each of the three facades represents the 12 apostles. Furthermore the next 4 towers are a symbol for the 4 evangelists. The last two towers stands for Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary. The tallest one is 170m/558ft high. Although the constructions is still incompleted you can go inside and visit the crypt were Gaudi is buried. Moreover you can see a museum or take an elevator to one of the towers from where you have a beautiful view over Barcelona. Nowadays it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House is a masterpiece of late modern architecture. It is located in Sydney‘s harbor and a symbol of both Sydney and the Australian nation. In its short lifetime, it has earned a reputation as a world-class performing arts center. You can watch operas, orchestras and ballets e.g. “ Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg“ by Wagner. The opera house was design by a relatively unknown architect called Jørn Utzon. He was 38 years old when he was the announced winner of the ‘International competition for a national opera house at Bennelong Point, Sydney’ for the best design talent in the world. In the same year 1959 the construction began. Cost overruns and a change of government resulted in Utzons resignation. In 1973 the opera house was finished by other architects and opened by Queen Elizabeth II. What is striking is that neither Utzon was invited nor his name was mentioned. The opera house consists of two main halls side by side and generally running north-south. The first is Concert Hall within 2700 seats. Secondly the Opera Theatre with space for 1500 people. Another famous room is the Utzon Room. It is a small multi-purpose venue with seats up to 210 people. The room is light filled and looks opposite to the harbor outlook. Furthermore is has excellent acoustics. The most impressive aspect are the shells on the roof which were design by Utzon. Each shell is composed pre-cast rib segments radiating from a concrete pedestal and rising to a ridge beam. It was very hard to find an economically acceptable form before a workable solution was completed. The design on the shells involved the earliest use of computers in structural analysis in order to understand the complex construction. All in all the opera house is 65 meter high, 183m(600ft) length and 120m(394ft) width. It enfolds an 1.8 ha(4.4. Acres) area and cost 102 Million Dollar.
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