"Constructing Christ in iron : the Paris Foreign Mission Society and its architecture in the nineteenth century Singapore and Hong Kong" / Tan, Ian Y.H.

Published in the International Journal of Asian Christianity: Vol. 8 (2025): Iss. 2 : Special Issue: Asian Catholic Materials and Space

Abstract:
The Paris Foreign Mission Society (Missions étrangères de Paris, mep) was instrumental in the introduction of imported building materials like structural iron and steel in Singapore and Hong Kong during the late nineteenth century, particularly through the construction of its churches and printing house respectively. This article explores how the use of iron as a construction material, particularly those produced by French foundries, gave mep missions access and knowledge to pioneer the use of iron as a building material overseas in the context of their mission work in East Asia. This research focuses not only on the material’s ability to accentuate the liturgical qualities and missional zeal produced by these spaces, but also the agentic role of mep priests in transferring architectural trends and modern technology across colonial networks during its heyday. The mep’s decision to use iron based on its superiority over other local materials helped to mitigate challenging local environments such as the poor soil condition of the church building in Singapore and to fulfil the structural and functional needs of the printing house in Hong Kong. Yet as the archival research and on-site surveys show, such technology transfers were not frictionless. There were challenges in communications between constructors in France, and the priests and local contractors in Singapore and Hong Kong, relying on limited letter correspondences and inaccurate building plans, causing delays in realising the mission’s evangelical ambitions in Asia. This article also highlights constructers’ intention to exploit iron’s materiality and structural potential to build Gothic style churches that not only created worship experience that is profoundly spiritual and immersive, but also offered a new identity for the emerging Asian Catholic communities reflecting their aspirations for social mobility.