The director of the renovation works tells that he believes that the church will be able to be opened to the public in a couple of years. He admits that the job is exceptionally difficult.
PARIS Notre Dame Square is once again teeming with tourist groups and admirers of beauty. Before the fire, the cathedral was the most popular historical monument in all of Europe, visited by 30,000 tourists every day.
Now high fences surround the construction site, but the famous Gothic facade is almost unchanged.
American student Dalton Barthold sits on the edge of the square and draws the cathedral in his sketchbook. He vividly remembers the fire that broke out in April 2019.
– It was shocking news. I stared at the television, marveling at the flaming cathedral and fearing it would collapse.
Barthold says he appreciates Notre Dame’s long history and all the people who built the cathedral hundreds of years ago.
– I respect the enormous amount of work that has sometimes been used to build the church. And after all, Notre Dame is an important symbol for France and all of humanity.
The repair work has finally started
The cathedral was badly damaged in a fire over three years ago, and it was only a matter of time before it was completely destroyed. The last few years have been spent securing the foundations of the church.
The start of the repair work was also delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and technical challenges, such as cleaning the site of lead dust, which is hazardous to health.
This summer, the actual rebuilding has finally started properly, says the official in charge of the renovation works Jonathan Truillet.
– All lead residues have now been removed from the construction site, and the roof and wooden support structures are currently being repaired.
According to Truillet, the construction site is preparing for a demanding task, i.e. erecting a new central tower. The old tower was an architect by Eugène Viollet-Leduc designed a hundred meter high structure that collapsed in a fire.
– The structure was complicated, because it had to withstand wind and other stresses. The old tower was also a work of art, decorated with wooden ornaments coated with lead. Replacing it is a huge challenge, says Truillet.
According to Truillet, the aim is to build the new central tower as similar as possible to the creation designed by Viollet-Leduc in the 19th century.
The reopening Notre Dame will be brighter than before
The majority of French people have wished for Notre Dame to be restored to its former shape – and that is what Paris is now aiming for.
According to Truillet, the outside of the cathedral will look quite similar to how it did before the fire. Instead, we will see a bigger change in the interiors. They are currently being cleaned of ash and dust, which is a major operation.
The cathedral’s large windows have also been removed and transported to a total of eight different studios in France and Germany for cleaning.
– The cathedral hadn’t been cleaned in ages. Therefore, the reopened building will be lighter and brighter than before. The change will certainly startle people who have visited the church before the fire, says Truillet.
President Emmanuel Macron promised shortly after the fire that Notre Dame would be restored in five years. The schedule set by Macron is very ambitious, but according to Truillet, they intend to stick to it.
– Notre Dame is scheduled to open to the public in 2024.
Donations are still being collected
The restoration work has been accelerated by the donation flood of more than 800 million euros received by the cathedral. Millions of donations were made by, among others, the richest men in France: the owner of the luxury group LVMH Bernard Arnault and the owner of the Kering Group François-Henri Pinault.
The Notre Dame Foundation, which operates in connection with the Diocese of Paris, has been one of the collectors of donations. Its new leader Sylvie Bretones says that the collection is still ongoing, as new renovation needs are constantly being revealed from the huge construction site.
– The wave of generosity that followed the fire has been incredible. The largest amount of donations was in 2019, but the collection for the renovation of the church’s interior still continues, says Bretones.
The foundation collects additional money for renewing the furniture and lighting, as well as for the cleaning of objects saved from the fire, such as the famous thorn crown.
There are still no exact estimates of the total cost of the renovation works of the cathedral, because the tendering process for contractors is partially in progress. The amount will be exceptional in any case.
– The construction site is huge in size. 400 people work there, and currently a 600-ton scaffolding is being erected inside the church, says Bretones.
Bretones adds that Notre Dame’s reputation also makes the operation exceptional.
– The cathedral is loaded with so many meanings.
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