Overview
- The newly installed element is the lower arm of the cross, a 7.25‑meter piece weighing just over 24 tons that was assembled on a platform at 54 meters and lifted by crane.
- At its new height the basilica surpasses Germany’s Ulmer Münster, which stands at 161.53 meters and had held the record since 1890.
- The cross will ultimately measure about 17 meters in height, with remaining arms to be placed in the coming months to bring the tower to roughly 172–172.5 meters.
- Project leaders aim to inaugurate the completed Jesus tower in mid‑2026 during Gaudí centenary commemorations, and they have requested papal participation for the mass.
- Construction is financed largely by ticket revenues—about 4.9 million paying visitors in 2024—and façade and interior works are set to continue for years after the tower is finished.