Saint-Michel church was designed by architect Henri Colboc, a Le Havre native and winner of the 1944 Rome Prize. Unfortunately, Colboc lost out on the commission to rebuild the city, as the selection board preferred Auguste Perret’s urban masterplan. He was however invited to design Saint-Michel church, built to replace the first church erected in Le Havre in 1661.

It is an imposing, angular building, inaugurated in 1964 comprising a concrete cube topped with a roof in the shape of an open book that appears to float above its belt of stained glass windows. This architectural feat was achieved thanks to the impressive timber frame, holding up the roof and visible inside the church.

There are also some remarkable abstract stained glass windows designed by Jacques Boutzen, subtly lighting up the nave. The furniture was donated by a local family of timber traders and is made from solid teak.