Casablanca Cathedral

Sacré-Coeur was built between 1930 and 1953 to a design by Paul Tournon and is one of the more striking buildings of the protectorate period - white concrete, with two square towers, pointed arcades and vertical fins, in a manner usually described as art deco gothic: the vocabulary of a gothic cathedral executed in reinforced concrete with the ornament stripped and the geometry sharpened. It ceased to function as a church after Moroccan independence in 1956, and since then has been a school, a cultural centre and, for long stretches, empty and deteriorating. It is now used for exhibitions and events when there are any, and visitors can sometimes climb the tower for a view over the city. Much of the stained glass is gone or damaged. The building's condition has been the subject of periodic campaigns and its future is not settled.

What you'll find

• Art deco gothic - a cathedral vocabulary in stripped reinforced concrete.
• A church since 1956 no longer - used as school, cultural centre and, often, nothing.
• A climbable tower - a city view when the building is open.
• Visible deterioration - damaged glass and a future that has not been decided.

When to go

October to April, when an exhibition is on. An hour.

Practical notes

Opening is unreliable and depends entirely on whether an event is running. The interior is bare and deteriorated. The tower stair is steep and not always accessible. Its long-term future remains undecided.

Nearby

Mohammed V square is north-east; the old medina is north.

Key facts