Aziza Chaouni Projects

Some projects take decades to come to fruition, or to even start. One such project is the restoration and adaptive reuse of Notre-Dame des Cèdres, a church located in the mountain town of Ifrane. Designed by the renowned French architect Paul Tournon and begun in the late 1930s, the church was never fully completed. Despite its unfinished state, it served Ifrane’s Christian community for many years and became an important landmark in the history of the city.

The building suffered significant structural damage when an earthquake struck the region in the mid-twentieth century, leading to the partial collapse of its central nave. Since then, the church has remained largely abandoned, hidden behind cedar trees and known today by only a handful of residents and heritage enthusiasts.

For decades, the restoration of Notre-Dame des Cèdres seemed unlikely. Yet its architectural significance, historical importance, and symbolic value for the memory of Ifrane continued to resonate. What began as an unfinished church gradually became a testimony to the layered histories of Morocco’s twentieth century, carrying traces of colonial urbanism, religious coexistence, architectural experimentation, and the enduring impact of natural disasters.

Today, after years of research, advocacy and documentation, the project to rehabilitate Notre-Dame des Cèdres offers a rare opportunity not only to conserve an important piece of Morocco’s modern heritage, but also to transform a forgotten landmark into a place of dialogue, culture, and collective memory. Its restoration demonstrates that heritage projects often require patience measured not in years but in generations.

Baragan house visit with sisters.

A sneak peek at what we have proposed for the Medina of Guelmim, located in the South of Morocco, right at the foot of the anti-Atlas mountains.

It is a dream come true to implement many innovative ideas we have been researching about historic quarters in the MENA region. We are honored and humbled.