In 1948, as architect, structural engineer and contractor, Naoum Shebib designed and built the Saint Thérèse church for the Maronite Christian community.

This church is in the city of Port Said located on the banks of the Suez Canal.

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This church is made up of a single reinforced concrete vault which sits on the ground.

This vault forms both the roof and the walls, creating a modern and original architecture mirroring the structure of the building.

On the main façade, an arcade covers a wide opening adorned with lattice-work enhanced by geometric figures.

The geometric decorations adorning the bell-tower are reminder of the lattice-work on the main facade.

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The bell-tower rising into the sky is surmounted by a delicate cross, its straight lines contrasting with the building's rounded form.

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Installation of the wooden shuttering.

Note the complex scaffolding on which rests the lower surface of the shuttering.

These scaffoldings give the formwork the desired curve, designed and calculated to ensure the structural integrity of the building.

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First stage in the construction of the wooden shuttering.

The floor of the vault shuttering is finished.

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Last stage of shuttering installation.

Note the two workers at the top of the vault completing the installation of the last planks of the shuttering.

Here we have a view of the upper part of the shuttering shortly before the pouring of the concrete.

The concrete will fill the space between the two wooden vaults which constitute the floor and the ceiling of the shuttering.

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Recent photograph of the Saint Thérèse church taken from the bell tower side.

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Angled photograph of the delicate concrete lattice-work that adorns the facade and bell tower.

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