Saint Jean church

Historic site and monument

Boulevard Joseph Vallier
38000 Grenoble

Built along the Boulevard Joseph Vallier, Saint Jean is certainly, by its original circular shape perched on stilts, the most striking new church in Grenoble.

Built on the boulevard, Saint Jean is certainly the most remarkable recent church of Grenoble thanks to its original, circular shape perched on stilts. It was built between 1963 and 1965 on land acquired in 1954, shortly after the foundation of the new Saint Jean parish.

The original self-supporting hyperboloidal roof, crowned with a bronze lacework capital had to be entirely rebuilt in 1979, after leak problems began deforming the timber work.

The new roof is crowned with a large skylight made of 9 bay windows and a cross at the top, reaching 27 meters in height.

The church is built according to circular floor plans measuring 37 m in diameter and can hold up to 1300 people.

The nave, in the shape of a 5 meters high raised basin, is supported by 18 reinforced concrete pillars. The dome supporting the alter is shaped like and upside down cone and indicates the presence of a chapel on the lower level built of rough concrete.

The inside houses a brightly colored icon of Christ on the cross, copied from an 13th century original. A parish member, Alain Plotard, created the copy. The baptismal font, made of carved stone, dates from the antique period.