St. Joseph's Church, Le Havre

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St. Joseph's Church, Le Havre
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
Diocese	Le Havre
Parish	Saint Martin du Littoral
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Le Havre
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Designated	2005
Reference no.	1181
Region	Europe and North America

St. Joseph's Church, Le Havre is a Roman Catholic church in Le Havre, France. From 1945 to 1964, the City of Le Havre commissioned Auguste Perret and his studio to head the rebuilding of the entire city after it had been completely destroyed by the British during World War II.^[1] St. Joseph's was built between 1951 and 1957/58 as part of this reconstruction. It acts as a memorial to the five thousand civilians fallen and the usual sanctuary dedicated to a patron saint; in this case Saint Joseph, fittingly the patron saint of a happy death, fathers, workers, travelers, and immigrants.^[2]

The church was designed by the chief architect for the reconstruction of Le Havre, Perret, who was the teacher and mentor to the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. A centrally-planned building, Saint Joseph's Church was envisioned as a beacon for the city. The church's single, central tower dominates the city skyline, easily visible from the city's port. Perret's vision created a building resembling a lantern, now fondly referred to as the "lantern tower" or the "lighthouse at the heart of the city". Made of concrete, St Joseph's is a product of modern architectural innovation in Post-War France. The tower is 107 meters 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