Church of Colònia Güell Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Church of Colòònia Güell
The part of the church that was finished, known as the Crypt.
General information
Location	Santa Coloma de Cervelló (Province of Barcelona), Spain
Construction started	1898
Construction stopped	1914
Design and construction
Architect	Antoni Gaudí

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Part of	Works of Antoni Gaudí
Criteria	Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv)
Inscription	1984 (8th Session)
Extensions	2005
Spanish Property of Cultural Interest
Type:	Non-movable
Criteria:	Monument
Designated:	24 July 1969
Reference #:	RI-51-0003825

The Church of Colònia Güell is a famous unfinished church designed by the great architect Antoni Gaudí. It is located in a village called Colònia Güell, near Barcelona, Spain. The church was meant for the workers of a factory town built by a wealthy man named Count Eusebi de Güell.

Count Güell asked Gaudí to design the church in 1898. However, building didn't start until 1908. Gaudí had a grand plan for a large church with two floors, tall towers, and a huge central dome. But in 1914, the Güell family stopped paying for the project after the Count passed away. Only the lower floor, called the crypt, was mostly done. It was finished between 1915 and 1917 so people could use it.

Today, the Church of Colònia Güell is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is part of a group of seven amazing buildings by Gaudí called the Works of Antoni Gaudí. These sites are protected because they show Gaudí's incredible creativity and new ideas in architecture.

The Story of the Church
- Gaudí's Amazing Model
The Crypt: The Finished Part
The Unfinished Chapel
The Church Today
Gallery
See also

The Story of the Church

Count Güell hired Gaudí to build the church for his special workers' village, Colònia Güell. Gaudí was only 28 years old when he got the job. Güell told Gaudí he could be as creative as he wanted, which led to some amazing ideas.

Gaudí's Amazing Model

To design the church, Gaudí used a very clever method. He built a model of the church upside down! He hung strings from the ceiling and attached small bags filled with lead pellets to them. The weight of the bags pulled the strings into natural curves, called funicular arches.

This model, which was one-tenth the size of the real church, showed Gaudí exactly how the forces of gravity would affect the building. It helped him design strong arches and columns without needing extra supports. To see his design right-side up, Gaudí would place a mirror below the model or take a photograph and flip it over. He then drew his final plans based on this upside-down model. This was the same technique he used for his most famous work, the Sagrada Família.

This method helped Gaudí create unique shapes for his buildings, like hyperbolic paraboloids, which are curved surfaces that are very strong.

The Crypt: The Finished Part

The only part of the church that was ever completed is the crypt. Building it took from 1908 to 1915. Because the church is on a hill, the crypt is partly underground. Gaudí designed it to look like it was part of the natural landscape.

The outside has large pillars. Some are made of brick, while others are made from single, solid blocks of stone. The roof has a unique, flowing shape created by the way the pillars connect to it.

Inside, the crypt is quite dark because it's partly underground. To bring in light, Gaudí added 22 beautiful stained-glass windows. The colorful glass makes amazing patterns on the floor and walls when the sun shines through.

The Unfinished Chapel

Even though it was never built, the upper part of the church, called the chapel, was an important part of Gaudí's plan. He used this project to test ideas for his biggest masterpiece, the Sagrada Família in Barcelona.

Gaudí planned every single detail, including the benches for people to sit on. He designed all the furniture himself. Today, the original benches he designed are still preserved inside the crypt. It is rare to see furniture designed by Gaudí, but some pieces can still be found in the Sagrada Família and in private homes.

The Church Today

In the year 2000, architects made repairs to the crypt. They made the building safer and easier for visitors to explore. Now, you can even walk on the roof of the crypt. This flat roof would have been the floor of the upper chapel if it had ever been built.