Saint-Esprit-de-Rosemont Church, Montréal
Aggressively modern, machine-inspired, and international in inspiration, Saint-Esprit-de-Rosemont is a bold and unabashed celebration of a style seldom used in church architecture: art deco. It is a surprising choice for this Montreal church, especially because it is a product of a very local man, Joseph-Aegis-Césaire Daoust.
Born, raised, and educated in Montreal, Daoust started his career working with Louis Z. Gauthier, a well-established ecclesiastical architect also of local origin. Together they designed churches in traditional Québécois and Catholic idioms — which makes art deco an even more surprising choice for Saint-Esprit.
Art deco was usually associated with commercial buildings, consumerism, and technology. So how did it come to be used in Saint-Esprit? The answer seems to lie in Daoust’s circle of professional connections. Between laying the foundations in 1922–23 and completing the church in 1932–33, Daoust collaborated with Ernst Cormier, the Montréal “starchitect” of the day. Cormier was responsible for some of the most iconic art deco buildings in Canada, such as the Université de Montréal and the Supreme Court building in Ottawa. This acquaintance probably explains why Daoust took a plunge in such a radical direction. Saint-Esprit retains a traditional Roman Catholic church floor plan and elevation and is built of locally quarried grey limestone that is typical of French Catholic architecture in Canada. Yet it boasts a sculptural ensemble that cannot be confused with anything previously seen in Canadian church architecture. The long, vertical lines of lights are more reminiscent of early movie theatres than churches.