Lille people want to avoid the destruction of a 19th century chapel

The Saint-Joseph chapel should be destroyed in the coming months -

• Built at the end of the 19th century, the Saint-Joseph chapel in Lille is threatened with destruction.

• Owner of the premises, the Yncrea group wants to build a university campus there instead.

• Unimaginable for heritage lovers who are doing everything to avoid the fatal outcome that emerges after the refusal of the Ministry of Culture to include the building in the rank of historical monuments.

For thirty years, Josette Hemsen has lived in the Vauban district.

Every day, she admires from her window the Saint Joseph Chapel located just in front of her apartment.

“I look at her every day and admire her because she is as beautiful in the sun as in the snow, in the fall or in the spring.

It has little columns, little pinnacles.

It's really beautiful to watch, ”describes the Lille resident.

But in recent months, the local resident has been angry.

Because the 2,000 m2 chapel, built in the 1880s, should soon be destroyed.

Desecrated since 2002, the building now belongs to the Yncrea group which brings together three engineering schools (HEI, ISEN, ISA) and which depends on the Catholic University of Lille.

Its leaders decided to tear down the religious building to build a large university campus instead.

A project worth 85 million euros validated by the town hall of Lille which issued a demolition permit in May 2019.

A mobilization to avoid destruction

A year and a half later, the work has still not started.

Because in the meantime, art lovers have mobilized to prevent the destruction of the chapel.

An awareness launched by Alexandra Sobczak-Romanski.

Founding President of Urgences Patrimoine, la Normande stumbled across an article last February about the announced destruction of the chapel.

“For me, it was so big that I moved on in the moment.

But on May 20, I came across this article and called a friend from Lille who told me that the whole of the chapel was concerned.

So I decided to make noise on the subject, ”recalls Alexandra Sobcak.

Mission successful because in a few days, the affair becomes public.

Via a petition bringing together more than 8,000 signatures, Urgences Patrimoine succeeded in calling in early June Stéphane Bern, Mr. Heritage of Emmanuel Macron.

What to react Franck Riester, Minister of Culture at the time, who decides to grant a reprieve to find an alternative and avoid destruction.

When the #Lille catho wants to destroy a 19th century church ... we walk on our heads, right ?!

Defend French heritage 🇫🇷 @xavierbertrand @martineaubry @bernstephane @R_Bachelot @urgencespatrimoine @lagazettedupatefeuille pic.twitter.com/UYZrZrcVwD

- Yves Jégo (@yvesjego) November 6, 2020

A building with real architectural interest

In July, Franck Riester was replaced by Roselyne Bachelot who had to be convinced in turn.

Chief architect of historical monuments, the Lille native Etienne Poncelet asks the Ministry of Culture to classify the chapel as a historical monument.

The best way to avoid its destruction according to him.

“At the urban level, this chapel is part of a coherent architectural ensemble of the Lille heritage of the end of the 19th century with the Rameau palace, the Saint-Joseph college and the Cathedral.

And this neo-Byzantine style chapel, built between 1880 and 1886, is architecturally very interesting.

It is on several floors and around there is a hanging cloister which is a real originality for this type of religious building.

There are also stained glass windows by Latteux-Bazin, a famous master glassmaker, which are interesting.

Finally, there is also very beautiful artistic ironwork and large tapestries, ”explains Etienne Poncelet.

No classification as a historical monument

Alas, these arguments were not enough to convince the ministry.

In an official letter sent a few days ago, Philippe Barbat, director general of heritage, refused to classify the chapel as a historical monument.

"If this chapel from the end of the 19th century in an eclectic style is not devoid of architectural interest, this is not sufficient to justify a classification as historical monuments".

The stained-glass windows and other important elements will be saved, nothing to prevent the destruction of the chapel.

End of the story ?

“No”, considers Etienne Poncelet.

“This answer is irrelevant.

We ask the European authorities to ensure that Yncrea comes back to a table to review its project.

We will mobilize different authorities and challenge elected officials to obtain satisfaction.

It would be a real scandal for a religious building in our time to be demolished before our eyes.

We will fight to the end, ”warns the chief architect of historical monuments.

And to try to slow down the course of things, Urgences Patrimoine will file a legal action to challenge the ministerial decision.

But time is running out.

With the demolition permit running until the end of 2021, the destruction work should no longer drag on.

It would really take a miracle to save Saint Joseph's Chapel from an announced death.

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• Stephane bern

• Patrimony

• Art

• Lille