Cripta de la Colònia Güell: entrance

The Church of Colònia G�ell (Catalan: Cripta de la Colònia G�ell) is an unfinished work by Antoni Gaud�. It was built as a place of worship for the people on a hillside in a manufacturing suburb in Santa Coloma de Cervell�, near Barcelona. Colònia G�ell was the brainchild of Count Eusebi de G�ell; who enlisted the help of architect Antoni Gaud� in 1898. However, work was not started until 1908, 10 years after commission. The plan for the building consisted of constructing two naves, an upper and a lower, two towers, and one forty-meter-high central dome. In 1914, the G�ell family halted construction due to the death of Count G�ell. At the time, the lower nave was almost complete, so between the years of 1915 and 1917, it was completed and readied for use.

The crypt portion of the church, constructed from 1908 to 1914, was the only segment of the church that was fully completed. It was built partially below ground due to being on a hillside, and it was designed so that it would feel like it belonged in the surrounding nature. There are pillars on the exterior of the crypt, made of many bricks, while others were made of a solid block of stone.