Église Sainte-Madeleine de Nantes, Modern church in Nantes, France

Église Sainte-Madeleine de Nantes is a church building in Nantes featuring clean lines and minimalist design from the post-war period. Large window surfaces allow daylight to fill the interior evenly.

The first Sainte-Madeleine church was built from 1854 by Nantes architect Théodore Nau on what is now boulevard Babin-Chevaye. Allied bombing in September 1943 cracked its structure, and the German demolition of the nearby Haudaudine bridge on the night of 11–12 August 1944 widened the cracks irreparably. The present church, designed by André Guillou and Pierre Joëssel, was begun on 8 December 1952 on the site of the former Ponts sugar refinery and blessed on 12 December 1954.

The name comes from a priory founded in 1119 on the Madeleine meadow, closed at the Revolution; its 15th-century chapel stood until 1865. Today Sainte-Madeleine is the only parish church on the Île de Nantes: baptisms, weddings and funerals are held here, while Notre-Dame-des-Lumières nearby only hosts Masses.

The building is located near public transportation and is accessible during the day for visits and private prayer. A short walk from central Nantes allows you to explore it alongside other modern landmarks in the city.

The interior is structured by a system of concrete and glass that creates an impression of lightness and openness. This geometric arrangement produces different light moods that shift throughout the day.