Is that red brick building the Église Notre-Dame de la Paix? It is a church in Tourcoing. This church stands on Rue des Orions. The Église Notre-Dame de la Paix came to be through the efforts of the Chantiers du diocèse de Lille. This association was created by Cardinal Liénart. He was the Bishop of Lille. The association’s purpose was to provide religious facilities. These facilities were for the new districts of the diocese.
The Église Notre-Dame de la Paix was built in a new garden city. This occurred between 1963 and 1964. Jean Willerval designed it. He was a Parisian architect. He belonged to the Atelier d’Art et d’Architecture. This group of architects worked for the Chantiers.
Jean Willerval was born in Tourcoing in 1924. His career took off in 1957. He won competitions for prefabricated gymnasiums. He also won for the Palais de Justice in Lille. In 1958, he started his agency in Lille. He partnered with Pierre Rignols and André Lagarde.
Willerval’s local ties led him to many projects in the Nord department. These included the Triolo district in Villeneuve-d’Ascq. He also designed the Hippolyte-Taine school. Other churches he designed were Saint-Pierre de Wattrelos and Saint-Jean-Bosco de Mons-en-Barœul. He also designed Saint-Thomas de Tourcoing. Concurrently, he advised the Ministry of Equipment. He was also an architect for Paris’s city plan. Later, he became an urban planner for Douai and parts of Bordeaux.
Willerval won awards. These included the building for the Port of Marseille’s management. He also won for the Hôtel du Département du Doubs in Besançon. He helped build the A1 motorway between Paris and Lille. Also, he contributed to four nuclear power plants. After building Pernod’s headquarters, he was entrusted to construct three towers. These were in the business district of Paris La Défense.
Willerval was a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres. He was also a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur. He received the Grand Prix National d’Architecture in 1975. This was for the Palais de Justice in Lille.
The Église Notre-Dame de la Paix is brick-built. It features a slate roof. The building appears quite enclosed. Light enters only through vertical bays. Various rectangular volumes interlock. These volumes serve different functions of the parish center. There is a narthex, a nave, and a weekday chapel. A sacristy and catechism rooms are included. Inside, the ceiling rises obliquely. This highlights the area above the altar. The weekday chapel is perpendicular to the nave. Two catechism rooms are on the first floor. This is above the sacristy on the ground floor.
Let us admire the Église Notre-Dame de la Paix. It stands as a testament to faith. It shows architectural vision. It is a place of peace in this community.