Sagrada Familia becomes the tallest building in Barcelona, surpassing two skyscrapers – but how does it compare to the rest of Spain?

Adam Husicka

Construction on Barcelona’s iconic Basilica continues. Its height has now reached 155.58 meters, narrowly edging the previous tallest building in the city, the Torre Mapfre, and Hotel Arts which both stand at 154 metres. 

Since the 1992 Olympic boom, these twin skyscrapers have dominated the skyline.

Designed by Antoni Gaudí and under construction since 1882, the Sagrada Familia is finally nearing completion. The Tower of Jesus Christ is expected to reach a height of 172.5 metres in 2026.

Gaudí deliberately chose this height so the basilica would remain slightly lower than Montjuic mountain (177.72m), in line with his belief that human creations should not surpass the works of nature.

Within the city limits, the only structure taller than the Sagrada Familia is the Collserola Tower (244m), a communications tower located in the hills above Barcelona—but technically outside the urban grid.

What is its ranking in comparison to the rest Spain?

Spain’s skylines, especially those in Madrid and other tourist-heavy cities, have been growing rapidly in recent decades. Benidorm is one of these, with its high-rises that give it a Dubai-like feel.

Currently, four of the tallest buildings in Spain are all located within Madrid’s Cuatro Torres Business Area. These buildings range between 230 metres and 249 meters in height.

The skyscrapers in Madrid Nuevo Norte, Europe’s largest urban renewal project, were completed simultaneously in 2008.

The next two hotels on the list are Benidorm’s Residencial Intempo 202m and Gran Hotel Bali 186m, both towering above the Costa Blanca coast. 

Completed in 2021, the Intempo is not just an architectural landmark, it’s also the tallest residential building in Europe, with 47 floors and apartments priced between €250,000 and €2 million.

The rest of Spain’s top ten includes additional towers in Madrid, along with two major additions from elsewhere: Torre Sevilla (180m) and Torre Iberdrola (165m) in Bilbao – both completed in the past 15 years.

Bilbao’s Torre Iberdrola will soon be lowered a few notches. 

The Sagrada Familia, once completed, will surpass it by approximately seven metres and slide into ninth position among Spain’s tallest structures.

The Olive Press has more property news. Click here to view them.