Marian devotion
Casablanca, Morocco
The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the most prominent Catholic temples in Casablanca. The building, designed by architect Achille Dangleterre with engineer Gaston Zimmer, began to rise in 1954 and was completed in 1956. His great vitrals were made by the master glass Gabriel Loire of Chartres.
Arquitectura
Its design, the result of an architectural contest, is based on the model of the west-oriented basilics. Its shape reminiscent of a tent, with the walls stretched and tilted. It is 60 meters long, 26 wide and 26 high. On each side it has 24 thrones or 17-meter-high windows that flood the interior of light.
On the left side of the atrium is a reproduction of the Grotto of Massabielle, in Lourdes, where Saint Bernadette Soubirous declared to have seen the Virgin Mary in 1858.
Glass
The Ateliers Loire file documents 51 glass and cement vouchers, made by Gabriel Loire between 1955 and 1956, with a total area of 850 square meters. The colorful light that crosses this great set transforms the concrete interior and constitutes the most recognized artistic feature of the temple.
Documentary sources
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