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Take a first look inside the newly reopened Notre Dame cathedral

2024-12-11T17:40:00-05:00

Archinect has received first photos of Notre Dame Cathedral’s completed restoration following the special ceremony that was held in Paris over the weekend in celebration of the unprecedented five-year rebuilding effort.

Photo: © Julio Piatti/Notre Dame de Paris

Images taken from inside the restored landmark showcase the extraordinary effort that went into the project, requiring an international army of more than 2,000 workers and skilled tradespeople working under the command of the late four-star General Jean-Louis Georgelin (who died tragically last summer) and his chief architect Philippe Villeneuve.

Photo: © Julio Piatti/Notre Dame de Paris

It was Villeneuve's desire, as he stated, to "erase the horror" felt in the wake of the April 2019 tragedy by restoring the cathedral as closely to Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's 19th century design as possible.

Photo: © Julio Piatti/Notre Dame de Paris

Accounting for the extent of the damage—the church's timber framework, roof, spire, and three sect...

Notre Dame's restoration architect on the five-year path to reopening

2024-12-09T16:30:00-05:00

"That’s success,” Villeneuve said. "If I can make (cathedral visitors) doubt there was ever a fire, then I’ve erased the horror.”

The landmark reopened over the weekend to cap a headline-grabbing year for the French capital. Archinect has followed the process of recovery and restoration since the first reports of the fire broke on April 15th, 2019. Villeneuve told reporters: "This wasn’t about me, but I’ve left my mark in my own way." The $800 million restoration is not expected to be fully completed until late 2025 or 2026 to allow for the return of all prior public and liturgical activities.

Here's some highlights from the past few years:

French officials float €5 tourist entrance fee after Notre Dame reopening

2024-10-29T09:59:00-04:00

The soon-to-reopen Notre Dame Cathedral might include a €5 entrance fee. The French cultural minister's controversial proposal, which The Guardian says is being "fiercely opposed" by the Roman Catholic church’s leaders, could raise upwards of €75 million ($80.8 million) annually. A 1905 law enshrining secularism in France could prevent the fee from being enacted. Ariel Weil, who represents the city center, told a radio outlet "The minister’s proposal as it stands may not be possible, but it does raise the question of the huge number of visitors to Notre Dame and the colossal investments required in our religious heritage nationwide."

Notre Dame is scheduled to reopen its doors on December 8th after a five-year reconstruction.

LEGO releases Notre-Dame Cathedral model ahead of December reopening

2024-06-10T13:14:00-04:00

Ahead of the summer's Olympic Games in Paris, the New York Times has previewed LEGO's timely launch of its new Notre-Dame Cathedral model. The set retails for $229.99 and is part of the company's AFOL 18 and over series. The real Notre-Dame’s reconstruction, meanwhile, is set to wrap up in December.

“Once you complete it, you can actually look through the front door,” one ameteur builder told the Times. “You get the sense of the space, the sense of majesty that comes with it.”

Notre-Dame de Paris asks for a makeover

2017-09-29T16:42:00-04:00

Broken gargoyles and fallen balustrades replaced by plastic pipes and wooden planks. Flying buttresses darkened by pollution and eroded by rainwater. Pinnacles propped up by beams and held together with straps.

The historic French monument, Notre-Dame de Paris, has suffered due to time, rain, pollution and wind.

Built from 1160 to 1345, with restorations and additions in the mid 19th century by architects Jean-Baptiste Lassus and Viollet-le-Duc, the cathedral attracts 14 million visitors per year.

Image from WIkipedia

The cathedral's spokesman André Finot explained that the cathedral needs an extensive makeover. The cost of the restoration is estimated at 150 million euros (US $180 million).

Image from Friends of the Notre-Dame de Paris

Pinnacles appear to be melting due to atmospheric corrosion.

Image from Friends of the Notre-Dame de Paris

Several gargoyles are highly damaged by rain, pollution and wind.

Image from Friends of the Notre-Dame de Paris

Flying buttresses are one of the most urgent and concerning issues due to their structural function. If one was to collapse, the consequences would be disastrous.

Image from Friends of the Notre-Dame de Paris

The Friends of the Notre-Dame de Par...