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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-du-Suffrage-et-Saint-Dominique de Nîmes was built between 1963 and 1964 by architect Joseph Massota, in response to the massive influx of black feet repatriated from Algeria after the Evian Accords in 1962. This demographic context led to a significant increase in the parish population, reaching 15,000 faithful. The building, designed to accommodate 800 people, is distinguished by its modern concrete and glass architecture, with a painted wooden frame and colourful stained stained windows.

The church adopts an oval shape evoking an almond or a boat, perhaps symbolizing the welcome and travel of the returnees. Its structure rests on blocks of concrete arranged in quince, creating a net filled with coloured glasses, some of which rotate to ensure ventilation. The ground floor houses meeting rooms, while the floor, dedicated to worship, has an oval volume without visible support, illuminated by two large glass panels.

Artists Jean Gineyts, Dominique Gutherz and Paule Pascal contributed to the ornamentation of the building. Gineyts made the large glass slabs, Gutherz the stained glass of the Baptistery, and Pascal decorated the galleries on the ground floor. A tower decorated with a cross of Camargue and fish, symbols of the early Christians, stands before the church, representing salvation. The bell tower, separated from the main building, completes this unique architectural ensemble.

Since 2002, this church has been part of the historical monuments, illustrating the adaptation of religious heritage to the social and demographic needs of the post-war period. Its modern style and technical innovations, such as mobile stained glass windows, make it a remarkable testimony to the religious architecture of the twentieth century in France.

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