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Origin and history

The church of Saint Joseph du Havre is an emblematic reconstruction of the city centre destroyed during the bombings of September 1944, which killed nearly 3,000 people and killed 80% of the city. Designed by Auguste Perret, a pioneer architect of reinforced concrete, it embodies architectural modernity and urban resilience. Its 107-metre lantern tower, visible 60 km away at sea, serves both as a spiritual lighthouse and as a memorial to the victims.

The first Saint Joseph church, built in 1873 in a neo-Gothic style, was destroyed in 1944. The reconstruction project, launched in 1951, was inspired by Perret's plans for the Basilica of St John's Arc (1926), combining a square plan with a Gothic verticality. Raymond Audigier, a collaborator of Perret, and Father Marcel Marie, a visionary priest, transform the building into an innovative place of worship, anticipating the liturgical reforms of Vatican II.

The abstract stained glass windows of Marguerite Huré, covering 378 m2, use 12,768 coloured glasses to create a chromatic symbol linked to theological virtues. The church, listed as a historic monument in 2018 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, marks a turning point in the sacred art of the twentieth century. Its raw concrete and clean lines, initially criticized, are today celebrated as a masterpiece of structural classicism.

The construction, completed in 1957, is based on advanced techniques: 71 15 metre Franki piles, prestressed concrete pillars, and a frame reinforced by Freyssinet pulls. The central altar, carved in Tarn granite, symbolizes a participatory liturgy. The church remains an active place of worship, dedicated to "seamen", and hosts 100,000 visitors annually.

Auguste Perret, who died in 1954 before the completion of the works, saw the end of his quest for "structural classicism". His work, long controversial, is now recognized as an architectural revolution, comparable to the advent of Gothic. The lantern tower, the first monument visible from the sea, embodies the renaissance of Le Havre and its transformation into a modern city.

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