The Hidden Role of 3D Printing in the Sagrada Família’s Tower of Jesus Christ

At 172.5 meters, the Tower of Jesus Christ makes the Sagrada Família the tallest Catholic church in the world. Pope Leo XIV blessed it on June 10, 2026, 144 years after the cornerstone was laid. At the top of the tower stands a cross measuring 17 meters tall, 13 meters wide, and weighing more than 12 tons. It is clad in over 13,000 pieces of glazed white ceramic. Though it may not be immediately obvious, 3D printing played a role in its production.

How 3D Printing Helped Build the Sagrada Família Cross

One of the most common misconceptions about digital manufacturing in historic projects is that technology replaces craftsmanship. The Sagrada Família project demonstrates the opposite. Aldo Sollazo, CEO of LAMÁQUINA, the digital manufacturing company that worked on the project alongside Cerámica Cumella, told 3Dnatives that the ceramic pieces covering the cross were not 3D printed. Instead, 3D printing was used to create the molds needed to produce them.

“3D printing was used in a crucial intermediate stage of the process: producing the molds that supported the pieces during firing,” Sollazo explains. These molds were made from a ceramic material compatible with the final pieces. “This allowed us to properly monitor the behavior of the assembly during the thermal process and ensure that each element held its intended geometry before final installation.”