St. Joseph's Church, Le Havre

St. Joseph's Church, Le Havre
49°29′27.5″N 0°6′4″E / 49.490972°N 0.10111°E / 49.490972; 0.10111Coordinates: 49°29′27.5″N 0°6′4″E / 49.490972°N 0.10111°E / 49.490972; 0.10111
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Dedication	Saint Joseph
Architecture
Architectural type	church
Administration
Parish	Saint Martin du Littoral
Diocese	Le Havre
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Le Havre
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Designated	2005
Reference no.	1181
State Party	France
Region	Europe and North America

St. Joseph's Church, Le Havre is a Roman Catholic church in Le Havre, France. It was built between 1951 and 1957/58 as part of the reconstruction of the town of Le Havre, which was entirely destroyed by the British during World War II. It acts as a memorial to the five thousand civilians who died in the conflict.

The church was designed by the chief architect for the reconstruction of Le Havre, Auguste Perret, teacher and mentor to the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. The sombre interior is in the Neo-Gothic style. The tower is 107 metres tall and acts as a beacon visible from out at sea, especially at night when illuminated.

The tower of the Église Saint-Joseph dominates the reconstructed center of Le Havre

Sources

• Andrew Saint, In Le Havre" (London Review of Books, 6 February 2003)