- In the original models of Sagrada Familia, Gaudí designed it to reach Calle Valencia. Now, between Calles Valencia and Mallorca, there are apartment blocks. Will these buildings be destroyed in order to be able to continue Gaudí's work as originally planned? (Calle Mallorca would pass underneath a tunnel - also designed by the architect). Cristian

Sagrada Familia is located between Calles Marina, Provenza, Sardenya, and Mallorca. So, Sagrada Familia stops short with the Façade of the Glory, on Calle Mallorca, but raised because the land is sloped. So, the result would be that one would have to exit the church by this side, then jump six meters down to the next level! Therefore, a bridge has been projected to appear at this spot which would span from the top of the sloped land, to the other side of the street.

In 1976, the City Hall gave permission to make on this plot of land a block of houses, of Núñez y Navarro, that has to disappear. When the day comes that all of this will have to be done, this will be so içunimportant that there shouldn't be any problems.

The architect Puig-Boada said: "Don't worry. The day we have to make the stairway, the angeles will come down from Heaven and plop it down for us." That, I would like to see!

- The crypt of the temple of Sagrada Familia is deteriorating. What are they planning on doing about this? Do you think that Do you think Gaudí would have liked to see his greatest work in this condition? Cristian

I think you're right about this.

One thing must remain clear: In Sagrada Familia there is, on one hand, the Construction Commission of the Expiatory Temple, and then, on the other, there is a parish. But, Gaudí didn't want there to be a parish. He said that if they made a parish, that he would resign from the project. The parish was not built until 1930.

There are two independent things. The money that was gathered by the Construction Commission is to go towards construction of the Temple. But, about restoring the crypt… but yes, it should be restored, because it's not doing so well.

- How would you explain Gaudí's knowledge of the behavior of such complex structures, the majority of which functioned purely by forces of compression and the use of catenaric curves in his works? How did Gaudí come arrive at these solutions? Rodrigo Amorós PERU

By static intution. All of the world's architects should have arrived at these same solutions, but they preferred to lose themselves in calculus.

One has to look for the rational structures and of these, the best are those that function by compression. Of course there are others that function by traction but this is more complicated and is a more forced manner, since in a beam, one part works by compression and the other by traction. On the other hand, if everything is done with catenaric arches and with ruled surfaces, then everything works by compression and is more simple.