Saint Arbogast Church (Église Saint-Arbogast)
| Condition | The building is not listed as a historic monument, although it received certification with the “Architecture Contemporaine Remarquable” label in 2015. This certification recognizes notable buildings from the 20th century, but does not grant the same protection as historic preservation. The overall condition of the building is good, although the bell tower needs some repairs. Researched and written by Simon Walter |
| Architects | Bertrand Monnet / Fernand Guri |
| Construction Date | 1970 |
The Church Saint Arbogast replaces an older church that has been severely damaged during WW2. Renowned architect Bertrand Monnet and his lesser-known collaborator Fernand Guri were chosen to design the new building between 1965 and 1970. The building is made of raw concrete for the main structure and some architectural elements like the baptistry. The architects also used stones from the nearby Rhine River for the façade and wood for the benches and the entry windows. The beautiful windows are the work of G. Lardeur and provide a lot of light into the chuch’s core. The entry façade is characterized by concrete elements acting as “brise-soleil” which are frequent in Le Corbusier’s work for example. The floor plan is a fusion of two triangles and a rectangle. The church’s plan becomes progressively narrower and more intimate (for smaller ceremonies). You can see large concrete beams inside the main room which gives strength to the overall composition of the building.