Japanese public broadcaster NHK has completed its documentary about the construction of Sagrada Família’s “Tower of Jesus” – a 16-year project that started in 2010. The tower was unveiled earlier this month to mark the 100th anniversary of Antoni Gaudi’s death. 

The show premieres in Japan on 28 June, with an international version to follow.

Over the past 16 years, NHK has produced a series of programmes, providing a continuous record of the construction’s progress. These include key milestones, including the ultimate completion of the Nativity Façade in 2015, the Tower of the Virgin Mary in 2023, and now the Tower of Jesus in 2026. 

“This extensive footage represents a historically significant record of the basilica’s construction,” NHK says. 

NHK was granted exclusive filming access for the completion of the final “Tower of Jesus.” 

To convey the scale of the project, NHK says it used a range of innovative techniques and approaches. NHK’s technical team also developed an 8K × 8K camera, enabling the cathedral to be filmed in extraordinary detail from previously unseen vantage points. 

“Being the only broadcaster in the world granted permission to film the construction of the “Tower of Jesus” was a tremendous honor, but at the same time, we felt an immeasurable sense of responsibility,” says NHK executive producer, Masumi Hoshino.