Didn’t the architect have a clear vision? The Sainte-Bernadette church stands before us. It is located at 125 avenue Alfred Motte in Roubaix. It is part of the Notre Dame de l’Alliance parish.
In May 1935, the Dupire architectural firm sent a building permit request to the town hall. This was on behalf of the Lille diocesan association. The request included plans for the future building. Construction took place during 1937.
However the completed church differed significantly from the initial plans. The original project seemed more ambitious. It aimed to use the entire available land. It included a presbytery and a dispensary. These would connect to the church via covered galleries. Around them were green spaces. These were called mothers’ gardens and children’s gardens.
The facade shows the most differences. There are two low steeples instead of a single bell tower. Level differences between the aisles and the central nave accentuate the building’s width. This gives it a massive appearance. The original plans showed a more traditional silhouette. It formed a triangle topped by a slender bell tower. Four steeples gave an impression of elevation to the whole structure. The portal is wider with three leaves instead of two. The ornamentation is less important. The different ratio between height and width creates a more compact look. Ornaments evoking a fortress such as battlements and machicolations add to the effect of mass.
However, the steps of the forecourt are adorned with two planters.
The lateral view shows the difference in appearance between the original plan and the actual construction. The planned transept roof is much lower than the nave’s. The slope of these roofs gave a sense of height. This no longer exists in the final building. The lateral chapels planned at the church entrance gave a relief. This disappeared in the actual construction which appears as a solid block.
Inside, the impression is the same. The architect seems to have reinforced the impression of mass. He also increased the sobriety compared to the original project. The final pillars are wider and more spaced out. The openings are simpler.
In 1937, the same architects submitted plans for a fence. It was to run along the extended Rue Marlot. But it was never built as such.
What can we make of these last-minute changes? The church seemed to be planned in stone. It was finally built in concrete covered with bricks. The ancillary buildings were not built. The fence was not erected. The various gardens and planted areas were also omitted. This may be due to a lack of funds. There were numerous appeals from Abbot Carissimo to donors. He needed funds to finance the church. The Roubaix newspaper of February 18 1935 quoted the abbot. He said he couldn’t help thinking that finding three hundred people giving a thousand francs each would allow him to start the new and beautiful church immediately. The plans were ready.
Construction of Sainte-Bernadette began in 1939 on the old rampart glacis in Dunkirk. The plans were by architect Jean Morel. After the war, city planners decided to move the church. It was to be on the central avenue connecting Rosendaël to Dunkirk. The church was built on a triangular plot bordered by three streets. It was designed between 1966 and 1968. Three architects from the Atelier d’Art et d’Architecture (AAA) worked on it. They were Gaston Leclercq, Ludwik Peretz, and Maurice Salembier.
Maurice Salembier was born in Roubaix on October 3 1929. He died in Trégastel on April 21 2008. He was a French architect. He was known mainly for his construction of religious monuments. Maurice Salembier studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lille. He studied in the workshops of André Lys and Robert Clément. He graduated in 1959 and won the prize for best diploma. From 1965 to 1967, he was the urban planner for the Nord metropolis. From 1967 to 1970, he was attached to the design team of the Atelier du Centre directionnel in Lille. He was also a consulting architect for the town of Halluin in the Nord. His main achievements include sixteen churches in the Nord. Also approximately 150 private homes in the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Côtes-du-Nord. Eleven post offices in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, seven school groups in the Nord. Seven telephone exchanges and five sports halls in the region.
The brick building has a trapezoidal plan. The nave’s benches accommodate 450 people. They are arranged in a radiating pattern from the altar. Catechism rooms and a chapel extend the nave. This increases the building’s capacity by 250 seats. The organ and choir area are located in an aisle. A steeple surmounts the building. The presbytery communicates directly with the chapel. The church was consecrated on November 17 1968. It can accommodate up to 700 people. The church is owned by a diocesan association.