After the fire which disfigured the cathedral on April 15, 2019, the restoration project of Notre-Dame de Paris has continued to revive the eternal quarrel between the ancients and the moderns.
Should we rebuild the building as before, changing nothing? Or take advantage of the opportunity born from the tragedy, to innovate, rethink the layout of the cathedral, or even modify its exterior appearance?
Before the public discovers the new appearance of Notre-Dame, for its reopening on December 7 and 8, we take a look back at five controversies that marred the construction site.
► Rebuilding in five years, mission impossible?
The day after the fire, Tuesday April 16, 2019, Emmanuel Macron announced the reconstruction of the cathedral in five years. “ Unrealistic », « unreasonable “, many experts are offended.
The group of companies for the restoration of historic monuments (GMH), which managed the renovation of the framework before the fire, estimates that around fifteen years of work could be necessary given the colossal damage.
Previous historical examples are also cited: the cathedral of Reims, destroyed during the First World War and rebuilt in 24 years, the Notre-Dame cathedral of Dresden in Germany rebuilt in eleven years after 1945.
To keep his bet, the Head of State created a public establishment, in order to centralize funding (846 million euros in donations) and lead project management. At its head, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who will be succeeded by Philippe Jost, will coordinate 250 companies and more than 1,000 people spread across French territory.
« On the construction sites of historic monuments, there is rarely this culture of deadlines,explained Jean-LouisGeorgelin at La Croix, three years after the start of work. Every day, I hammer home to my teams that we are facing a challenge that involves France. »
Five years later, the deadlines have been met.
► Should we redo the arrow identically?
Another suggestion from Emmanuel Macron will set things on fire. On April 17, 2019, the Head of State proposed launching an international architectural competition for the reconstruction of the spire. “As this is not part of the original cathedral, the president hopes that a contemporary architectural gesture can be considered”explains a press release from the Élysée.
A few days later, Le Figaro publishes a petition signed by 1,170 experts from around the world, including heritage curators, art historians and museum directors. Summoning Emmanuel Macron to act “ without rush », they demand the reconstruction of Notre-Dame identically.
Three months later, the president agreed with their opinion. The Élysée indicates that for “do not delay the work or complicate the file”the spire and the framework will be rebuilt according to the plans left by the architect Viollet-le-Duc.
► The framework and its controversial lead covering
The desire to rebuild Notre-Dame as it was in the 19th century led to the use of original materials, and therefore wood for the frame and lead for the roof.
460 tonnes of lead went up in smoke in 2019. In December 2023, a petition circulated, supported by the environmentalist senator from Paris, Anne Souyris, to request the suspension of the construction site and the replacement of this carcinogenic metal with a less polluting material.
The petitioners are unsuccessful. “Covering the frames with lead, which are located around forty meters from the ground and are inaccessible, does not expose anyone to lead ingestion,” argues the public establishment in charge of the restoration of Notre-Dame.
The choice of wood for the frame is also debated. What will happen in the event of another fire? Why not prefer concrete, the option that was chosen in Reims but also in Nantes after the cathedral fire in 1972? Specialists argue that this concrete frame saved the Nantes building during the fire in July 2020.
On the Notre-Dame de Paris construction site, we are highlighting the new, tailor-made and unique fire safety system: a network of misters integrated into the framework, fire breaks installed in key locations and the creation of a kilometer of pipe under the cathedral, to be able to bring 600 m3 of water. Such a flow is not provided for in any other monument in France.
► Interior design criticized
The criticisms will then crystallize around the interior design of the cathedral, a mission entrusted to the diocese of Paris.
In particular, he proposes to redevelop the side chapels to make the existing works resonate with “works of today”, such as tapestries, or video projection of biblical verses. This last idea shocks and voices are raised to denounce a “Disneyland effect”.
A new column is published in Le Figarosigned by a hundred intellectuals or art specialists, including the journalist Stéphane Bern, who believes that the diocesan project for the chapels “reduces to nothing the design patiently developed by Viollet-le-Duc”.
The new liturgical furniture, with modern and refined curves, unveiled by designer Guillaume Bardet at the start of summer 2023, was also in the sights of some, judged “too austere”, “not monumental enough”.
► The case of stained glass windows, still not decided
Latest controversy to date, the international competition launched to create contemporary stained glass windows at Notre-Dame de Paris. They should replace the grisaille stained glass windows of the six chapels on the south aisle, installed in 1865.
After the announcement of this competition organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, the Sites and Monuments association said it wanted to take legal action: “ The grisaille stained glass windows of Viollet le Duc are classified as Historic Monuments and cannot therefore be removed to make way for contemporary works”estimates Julien Lacaze, its president.
Eight artists’ projects are still in the running, including Daniel Buren’s controversial proposal with abstract stained glass windows. The name of the Laureate should have been given during the reopening weekend of the cathedral, December 7 and 8. Emmanuel Macron ultimately preferred to postpone this announcement.