The Sagrada Família is preparing to install and illuminate the twelve-pointed star that will crown the Tower of the Virgin Mary, marking another major construction milestone for Barcelona’s world-famous basilica.

Scheduled to be illuminated on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the structure represents a significant engineering and glazing achievement within the ongoing construction of Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece. The star, manufactured from glass and steel and valued at approximately €1.5 million, will become one of the most recognizable elements of the basilica’s skyline.

Positioned at the summit of the Virgin Mary Tower, the star follows Gaudí’s original design concept and serves as the tower’s architectural culmination. Once completed, the tower will stand as the second-highest structure of the Sagrada Família, surpassed only by the future Tower of Jesus Christ.

According to chief architect Jordi Faulí, the star has been engineered to withstand demanding environmental conditions, including strong wind loads and impact forces. Its structural design combines steel framing with glass elements arranged across twelve points, each incorporating its own lighting system. When illuminated, the feature will be visible across large parts of Barcelona, creating a new nighttime landmark for the city.

The installation forms part of the broader construction programme currently underway at the basilica. While the Virgin Mary Tower is nearing completion, work continues on the remaining five central towers, including the four Evangelists’ towers and the Tower of Jesus Christ. These structures are expected to define the final silhouette of the monument and bring the project closer to the completion of Gaudí’s vision.

During a recent presentation, the star was displayed near the construction area on the Marina and Provença side of the basilica before its lifting and installation. The unveiling highlighted not only the scale of the element itself but also the advanced fabrication and assembly processes required to integrate such a complex glazed structure at significant height.