It is a late 19th-century Gothic Revival (Neo-Gothic style) church that serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi.

[7] Construction of the cathedral most likely started after this time and it was completed in December 1886,[8] a year before the federation of French Indochina was established as part of its colonial empire.

[13] In order to facilitate the construction of the church, the ruins of the pagoda - which was built when the city was founded by the 11th-century Lý dynasty and had collapsed in 1542, never to be repaired - were cleared.

[18] The twin bell towers have often drawn comparison to those at Notre Dame de Paris;[19] the architects of St. Joseph's sought to emulate its Parisian counterpart.

[16][21] In response, the cathedral underwent major renovation works between July 2020 and May 2022, restoring its external appearance and structural integrity.

The nave is weathered, while the sanctuary is made of polished gilt-trimmed wood, similar to that of Phát Diệm Cathedral, and has architectural embellishments in the imperial Huế style.

A pipe organ designed by the Belgian craftsman Guido Schumacher, was installed in the cathedral on 23 November, 2022, as part of a cultural exchange project between Itami in Japan and Hasselt in Belgium.