Saint-Christophe-de-Javel, Paris

Saint-Christophe-de-Javel is a Roman Catholic church located at 4 rue Saint-Christophe in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. It was constructed between 1926 and 1930 in the newly industrialized neighborhood of Paris by the architect Charles-Henri Besnard (1881-1946), a follower of the architect and historian Viollet-le-Duc. While the church architecture is inspired by the Gothic architecture of the 13th century, it was constructed using a modern material, reinforced concrete, and made an innovative use of molded cement for the decoration of the facade and interior.

History

The church was built in the neighborhood of Javel in the 15th arrondissement, an area which, beginning in the 1860, had seen the construction of many chemical and metallurgical factories, including factories which produced Eau de Javel, a variety of bleach, which gave its name to the neighborhood. After the First World War, the dominant industry became construction of transport, including locomotives, wagons and especially automobiles, including a large new factory for Citroen. The local church could not accommodate the rapid growth of the population. A project for a much larger church was launched, It was named for Saint Christopher the patron saint of automobilists and other voyagers.

The design was inspired by the Gothic architecture of the 13th century. The architect, Charles-Henri Besnard (1881-1946) was an admirer of Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, who had carried out the creative restoration of a series of Gothic cathedrals from that period. Besmard went one step further than Viollet-le-Duc.