Construction on the Sagrada Família's Chapel of the Assumption is progressing on Provença Street, where residents, pedestrians and businesses are currently living alongside a worksite of temporary walls, cranes and scaffolding next to the basilica's perimeter. The site matters locally because Provença Street, not only Mallorca Street, is already being reshaped by the next phase of the project, with access around the basilica affected by ongoing building works.

The chapel forms part of the basilica's expansion on the Provença side, alongside the cloister of the Assumption. According to the Sagrada Família's construction board, a provisional fence was installed for basement works linked to the chapel and cloister, and the project remains under active construction.

The wider building programme is also moving forward on the Glory Façade, which the basilica says will become its main entrance on Mallorca Street once completed. For people living near the temple, that means two fronts of work are now relevant: the highly visible future entrance on Mallorca Street and the less publicly seen chapel and cloister works on Provença Street.

Chapel works continue while Glory Façade takes priority

In an official update published on 25 March 2025, the Sagrada Família said that its goal for 2025 was to finish the eight columns that will support structures on the Glory Façade. The board of trustees of the Junta Constructora del Temple, the body overseeing construction, described that phase as work on the façade's vertical elements.

That façade is the basilica's largest front. According to RTVE, construction on it began in 2002, even though Antoni Gaudí designed it in 1916 and the original model was later destroyed in the early days of the Civil War. RTVE also reported that chief architect Jordi Faulí hopes the four bell towers on the Glory Façade can be completed within the next ten years.

"Once the central towers of the Sagrada Família are completed, we will allocate all efforts to the construction of the Glory façade," construction director Xavier Martínez said, according to Catalan News, adding that the aim was to complete it "within approximately 10 years".

That ten-year horizon is a projection, not a fixed deadline. Catalan News reported that the timetable remains conditional on agreements with Barcelona City Council and on stable revenues.

  • The Tower of Jesus reached the basilica's final height of 172.5 metres, according to Catalan News.
  • The exterior is expected to be structurally completed around 2028, with a glass lift still to be installed, according to the same report.
  • The six central towers, between 135 and 172 metres high, were completed in 12 years using post-tensioned stone panels, RTVE reported.

What is known about the staircase dispute

The most sensitive unresolved issue remains the monumental staircase planned for the Glory Façade on Mallorca Street. Official and media reports agree that Gaudí's original design extended beyond the current footprint of the basilica into land now occupied by residential buildings.

For neighbours near Mallorca Street, this is the part of the project with the greatest direct housing impact. Catalan News reported that negotiations are focused on how to build the staircase while relocating affected residents, and that city officials had committed that no resident would be left without housing within the district.

Another Catalan News report said the construction team could complete the basilica in about ten years only if schedules and deadlines are confirmed. The same report stated that the board is still negotiating with the city council over the final design and is awaiting permission to install scaffolding for the baptistery's base.

That report also said around 3,000 neighbours could face eviction if the staircase were built as originally conceived. However, the supplied official sources do not include a council agreement, protest notice or relocation record confirming that figure directly, so it remains a reported estimate rather than a verified municipal total.

What residents and visitors can check now

For now, the clearest confirmed point is that work is active on both the Provença Street chapel and the Glory Façade structure. Anyone tracking official progress can follow updates through the basilica's own announcements on the Glory Façade works page and the Chapel of the Assumption basement works notice.

The Sagrada Família has also said it will mark the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death with a programme of events beginning in October, according to its official website. The chapel on Provença Street remains one of the less visible parts of that final construction phase, but it is already altering the immediate street environment beside the basilica.

Reported by Source Text Link, sagradafamilia.org, Jaime Gutiérrez, Carlos del Amor, catalannews.com, bonart.cat, lavanguardia.com, Laia Galià, barcelonaprivatetourguide.com, domusweb.it, bbc.com, Joseph Wilson, Associated Press, El Periódico Barcelona.