Barcelona’s Sagrada Família has reached a new architectural milestone: its central “Tower of Jesus Christ” now stands at 162.91 metres, officially surpassing Germany’s Ulm Minster. The record-breaking height was achieved with the installation of a 7.25‑metre, 24-tonne base section of a 17-metre-high walkable glass cross by Gartner, part of the Permasteelisa Group.
The cross is engineered from duplex stainless steel (high-grade, corrosion-resistant), cast with ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) for strength and durability, and clad in stone and white-glazed ceramic.
Its glazing consists of both transparent and translucent panes, including pyramid-shaped and curved segments, designed to reflect sunlight while maintaining structural integrity. The four horizontal arms span 13.5 metres each, and a spiral staircase inside the tower allows visitors to reach the arms, accommodating up to 11 people at a time.
Of the cross’s seven components, four are on-site, while the remaining three are being fabricated at Gartner’s Gundelfingen an der Donau plant in Germany for December delivery. Installing a 100-tonne glass and steel structure at 155 metres required high-capacity cranes, precision hoisting, and detailed engineering simulations. Completion is scheduled for February 2026, marking 100 years since Antoni Gaudí’s death. 
Source: sagradafamilia.org with additional information added by Glass Balkan
