The Tower of the Virgin Mary, the ninth tower of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, will be opened on December 8.

The 138-meter structure, crowned with a star made of glass and stainless steel, will become the second tallest tower of the temple structure.

Before the opening of the ninth of the 18 towers designed by the modernist architect Antonio Gaudi, a 5.5-ton star will be installed on its top on November 29.

12 floodlights will be installed in the center of the star at a cost of 1.5 million euros, so that the structure will shine like a new star in the sky of Barcelona.

After the opening of the ninth tower, it will remain to erect five more central towers of the Sagrada Familia: its tallest tower of Jesus Christ and the towers of the four Evangelists.

Completion and funding of the work depends on attendance fees, donations and sponsorship.

The Sagrada Familia, the most visited monument in Barcelona, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. Its construction, begun in 1882, was planned to be completed in 2026 - a century after the death of architect Antonio Gaudi.