Gaudi's church threatened by bullet train link
By staff reporter
27 June 2008

Antoni Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia dominates the Barcelona skyline

Planned construction of an underground bullet train threatens to destroy one of Spain's most spectacular tributes to God, it has been claimed.

La Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece, stands just seven feet from the construction site. This has prompted appeals to protect the basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage site that attracts an estimated 10,000 visitors a day.

The plan for the bullet train, approved last year, aims to link the city to Madrid and to France. But opposition to the excavation is strong.

Opponents argue that construction work so close to the church and vibrations from the moving train could destabilise the building's foundations and eventually cause it to crumble. Head architect Jordi Bonet, who has spent more than 40 years working on the basilica, has said that any damage would be irreparable. Three years ago a tunnel excavated to extend a subway line collapsed in the Carmel neighbourhood, severely damaging nearby businesses and homes, some of which were later demolished.

Barcelona resident Roger Puig is among the opponents. "The majority here is completely against it because we cannot forget what happened in Carmel," he said.

Officials at the Sagrada Familia say they are still waiting to receive details of the railway project from its builders but, nevertheless, are against it. "We support the suspension of the project and presented our case against it to the National Court of Spain in October," Sagrada Familia spokeswoman Anna Perarnau said. She added that there are alternatives to creating a tunnel near the church "but it is not our responsibility to think of another route for the train".

Jose Antonio Marco, a curator at the Archdiocese of Barcelona, said he also objects to the construction. "This does not have to happen. We can only trust the church will not be damaged," he said.

But Catalan architect Luis Sans, who is not associated with the basilica, says a nearby railway should not affect the basilica if it is carefully done. "What happened in Carmel is still in our memories, but every construction project comes with a risk. That is why we have offices for technical and quality control, to guarantee the correct execution of the project," Sans said. "The new railway will help rehabilitate and bring necessary business."