Reus, Catalonia, will host Antoni Gaudí's Assumpta Chapel in Parc Gandhi, after Reus City Council confirmed it will provide and prepare the land for the project. Mayor Sandra Guaita announced the location on Tuesday at the Gaudí Centre.
The chosen plot is near the Sardana Sculpture on Avinguda dels Països Catalans, and a short distance from the Santuari de Misericòrdia. Guaita said the site sits at the centre of a symbolic triangle formed by the patron saint's temple, Gaudí's birthplace on Carrer de Sant Vicenç, and Riudoms.
The Gresol Foundation, which is promoting the chapel, has called on the public to support the project and to honour Antoni Gaudí. Its honorary president, Antoni Pont, said it is a work for everyone and an exciting goal. The initiative is backed by the Sagrada Família Construction Board and will be managed by a new foundation, with its structure to be finalised in the coming months.
Guaita said the setting is ideal because the surrounding greenery will help integrate the chapel into Reus's natural environment. She said the location also helps show the link between Gaudí and nature, and allows the chapel to be surrounded by Reus's green heritage.
The project is valued at about €10 million. Promoters plan to fund it through donations from companies and individuals, international patronage campaigns, and contributions from public administrations. They also said the Sagrada Família will donate original plans and moulds, which should help reduce construction costs. For more local coverage, see our news page.
Over the next few months, the promoters will define the governance model for the project. Reus City Council's legal services are working with the Ministry of Justice on the legal framework for the future entity, and officials said several institutions have already shown interest in taking part. The department led by Minister Ramon Espadaler has also expressed support.
The Sagrada Família Construction Board's role is unusual, as this is the first time it has authorised the transfer of technical documentation outside the temple grounds. The board will also supervise and monitor the chapel's construction, which is currently underway on the Sagrada Família's north façade. Support for the initiative has also come from the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, the Minister of Culture, Sònia Hernández, the Archbishop of Tarragona, Joan Planellas, and the Cardinal and Archbishop of Barcelona, Joan Josep Omella.
