Francesco Bandarin, architect, Head of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (2000-2010) and Deputy Director-General of UNESCO for Culture (2010-2018), shared the latest information on the restoration of the Cathedral of Saint Dam de Paris and what awaits him in the future.
Roof
Until the construction of a new temporary roof is completed, the aisle was tightened with a canvas. Inside the aisle, a protective net was hung in case the remaining parts of the roof began to collapse. The statue of Our Lady was removed, and over the main altar with the famous Baroque sculptural group, depicting the vow of King Louis XIII, erected a protective structure.
Masonry.
Robots are involved in the dismantling and removal of a huge number of debris that has fallen into the aisle (stones, burnt wood, pieces of roofing, etc.), as people are forbidden to enter because of the threat of collapsing vaults. This stage of the work is almost complete. Fragments of the cathedral will be preserved for inspection and reuse.
Stained-glass windows
The top stained-glass windows and apsides were removed for safety reasons, and the openings were closed to protect the cathedral from rain. Lower stained-glass windows and transept rose windows have so far been left in place.
Building stabilization
The vaults remain a source of serious concern: some of their masonry has collapsed and will need to be rebuilt at some point. All the buttresses were reinforced with wooden frames to minimize the risk of damaging the cathedral's load-bearing walls. A series of 18-metre high wooden lintels were installed over the vaults to build a platform for the study of their condition and future reconstruction. The northern, western and southern gables were reinforced with wooden struts. The Chimera Gallery on the southern tower was secured and fastened to the sling. Two internal columns of the cathedral, which were damaged by the fire, also strengthened.
Lead contamination
The fire completely destroyed the leaded roof covering of Notre Dame with a total weight of 430 tons. Part of the plates fell inside the cathedral, part melted on the walls, and part turned into dust and along with a thick cloud of smoke spread in the wind over the western part of Paris. Fears of lead contamination forced the authorities to suspend work for most of August. To protect workers' health, impressive safety measures were put in place, including special access to the cathedral, masks, protective suits and showers. Pollution levels are now being measured in the cathedral's immediate vicinity and in neighbouring areas of the city, and potential health risks are being assessed.
Financing
The restoration of the UNESCO monument requires considerable resources. To date, the Notre Dame Foundation has received donations and promises of donations totalling €380 million, including €36 million from 46,000 individuals, 60 companies and 29 French and foreign public institutions. It became known that the promised head of the holding LVMH, the founder of the Foundation Louis Vuitton Bernard Arnaud and the owner of the auction house Christie's, the Venetian Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana Francois Pinaud € 200 million and € 100 million will be paid in stages. As major sponsors, both billionaires will be part of the control committee established by the French Minister of Culture, Frank Riester, which will oversee the implementation of the restoration project.
What's the next step?
First of all, it is necessary to dismantle solid metal scaffolding, which was installed before the fire to restore the spire. This is a difficult and dangerous task, as the structures have been severely damaged by fire. After they are removed, a new temporary roof will be built, which will last until the restoration is completed.
Glee club seat protection will be installed. Finally, a wooden platform will be placed under the vaults to assess their stability and decide whether to reconstruct or replace them. This phase is planned to be completed by the summer of 2020.
At the moment, all work is being carried out under the direction of the chief architect Notre Dame. He coordinates the activities of specialized construction firms, some of which have been invited to the project and some of which have been transferred from other sites as a matter of urgency. This is a temporary scheme until a new agency, established by the French Parliament in July 2019, becomes operational. It will be responsible for all aspects of the reconstruction of the Cathedral.