The Protestant Church of Reims (french: Temple protestant de Reims) is a large Protestant church in

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

, France, built in 1921–1923 to replace an earlier building that had been destroyed during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

(1914–1918). The building is in flamboyant Neo-Gothic style. Originally the interior was decorated with

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

frescoes, but these deteriorated and have been painted over.

History

The Reformed Church of Reims was established by royal decree on 30 April 1832. On 15 December 1867 the Reformed Temple was opened on the Boulevard Lundy in a converted building that had formerly been a riding school. During

(1914–18) the temple was destroyed by incendiary shells. After the war it was rebuilt in the same location. The foundation stone was laid on 23 October 1921. The temple was dedicated on 24 June 1923 by Pastor Louis Gonin, president of the Presbyteral council of Reims. The interior walls were originally covered with

frescoes by

Gustave Louis Jaulmes Gustave Louis Jaulmes (14 April 1873 – 7 January 1959) was an eclectic French artist who followed the neoclassical trend in the Art Deco movement. He created monumental frescoes, paintings, posters, illustrations, cartoons for tapestries and carp ...

, representing subjects such as the Tree of Life, Tables of the Law and Huguenot Cross with tears, with many plant decorations. The pulpit, in

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style, was dismantled in 1972. In 1973 the frescoes were covered with white paint due to their deteriorated condition. This gives the temple a sober or austere interior, more in line with the

Reformed Church Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

tradition. A great organ was built between 1972 and 1976, with 53 registers. Construction was overseen by pastor Pierre Vallotton, who was passionate about organ music and the construction of instruments. The organ was inaugurated on 17 October 1976 by Arsène Muzerelle, organist of

Reims Cathedral , image = Reims Kathedrale.jpg , imagealt = Facade, looking northeast , caption = Façade of the cathedral, looking northeast , pushpin map = France , pushpin map alt = Location within France , ...

. .

Building

The building was designed by

Charles Letrosne Charles Antoine Letrosne (5 April 1868 – 9 August 1939) was a French architect and writer known as the author of the influential three-volume ''Murs et toits pour le pays de chez nous'' (1923. Life Charles Antoine Letrosne was born on 5 April ...

(1868–1938) in a

flamboyant Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...

neo-Gothic style influenced by

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (; 27 January 181417 September 1879) was a French architect and author who restored many prominent medieval landmarks in France, including those which had been damaged or abandoned during the French Revolution. H ...

. It was modeled on the ''Temple de l'Étoile'' in Paris. The layout is that of

Latin cross A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...

, which is unusual in a church built for Protestants. The nave is built in concrete on foundation piles deep. The nave is long, and the transept is long. The vaulted ceiling rises to . The windows represent biblical themes. File:Façade du Temple.jpg, Facade File:Patio du Temple de Reims.jpg, Patio File:Journées du patrimoine 158.JPG, Entrance File:Baptistère temple de Reims 176.JPG, Baptistry

Notes

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT: Churches in Marne (department) Buildings and structures in Reims