2026 Marks the 100th Anniversary of Gaudi’s Death: Shobunsha Releases an Illustrated Guide as Sagrada Familia’s Tallest Tower Nears Completion

Shobunsha Holdings and its subsidiary Shobunsha announced that they will release a new title in the popular “Sutto Atama ni Hairu” easy-to-understand history and culture series, “The World of Gaudi and the Sagrada Familia Explained Through Diagrams,” on May 29, 2026. The year 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of the genius architect Antoni Gaudi. In the same year, the tallest “Tower of Jesus Christ” at his unfinished masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, to which he devoted his life, will finally be completed. At a moment when global attention is focused on Gaudi as never before, the book serves as an introductory guide to the vast universe he envisioned. As Gaudi said, “Humans do not create. Humans discover, and begin from that discovery.” His architecture was not born merely from eccentric intuition, but from close observation of the laws and curves hidden in nature, combined with highly rational structural mechanics such as hanging chain models and parabolic arches. The book traces Gaudi’s life from his sickly, observation-filled childhood to his encounters with important patrons and his later years devoted selflessly to church architecture. It also explains, with contemporary photographs and diagrams, the intricate structure of the Sagrada Familia and the many World Heritage sites that define Barcelona, including Casa Mila and Park Guell. The contents cover Gaudi’s character and philosophy, seven features of his architecture, the Sagrada Familia’s facades, interior, stained-glass light, 18 towers, architectural history, and 18 representative works. The book is supervised by Gaudi scholar Tokutoshi Torii. It will be published by Shobunsha in A5 format with 128 pages, priced at 2,200 yen, and sold at major bookstores and online stores across Japan.