Title: Biodigital design and symbolism in the Sagrada Familia Biodigital Bridge

Authors: Alberto T. Estévez; Yomna K. Abdallah

Addresses: Institute for Biodigital Architecture and Genetics (IBAG), Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), 08017 Barcelona, Spain ' Institute for Biodigital Architecture and Genetics (IBAG), Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), 08017 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Interior Design, Faculty of Applied Arts, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract: Faced with an unresolved problem, such as the design of the access of the main facade of the Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudí, an architectural design was proposed here, using digital techniques, organic forms, biological approaches and symbolic backgrounds as the methodology. Searching solutions more in line with what Gaudí 's work deserves, appropriate to our times, to our Zeitgeist, having already started the third decade of the 21st century. Since the pragmatic drawings that his earliest collaborators made for this purpose are far from adapting to what the Sagrada Familia now is and means. The study of a very particular symbolism of the Sagrada Familia was also developed on the proposed design: the relationship that Gaudí establishes for the design of the Sagrada Familia with the book of the Apocalypse (VV.AA., 2002), which is less known and most 'secret'.

Keywords: Sagrada Familia; Glory Façade; symbolism; hyperbolic paraboloid; catenary arches; computational design; algorithms; form finding; simulation; biased random walk.

DOI: 10.1504/WRSTSD.2023.133889

World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 2023 Vol.19 No.4, pp.365 - 382

Received: 26 Dec 2020
Accepted: 26 Oct 2021
Published online: 05 Oct 2023 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article