Built between 1930 and 1952 by French architect Paul Tournon, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart stands west of the Arab League Park as one of the most architecturally striking colonial buildings in Casablanca. Tournon designed it in a Gothic-Moorish hybrid style that tries to reconcile European cathedral form with North African ornament: buttresses, pointed arches, and a large rose window, combined with Arabesque detail and whitewashed surfaces.
Morocco's independence in 1956 ended the building's religious use; it has served various functions since, including a period as a court. It is now a cultural centre and exhibition space. The interior, with its high nave and filtered light, is worth seeing. The exterior reads differently depending on the angle: from the park, it looks almost entirely European; from closer up, the hybrid character becomes clearer.
Entry is sometimes possible depending on what is being exhibited; the exterior is always accessible and best viewed from across the Arab League Park.