One year to the day after the fire that devastated the cathedral, the bourdon de Notre-Dame de Paris will sound, this Wednesday, April 15 at 8 p.m., "in union with the applause of the French" for the caregivers who are fighting against Covid-19 epidemic, announces General Jean-Louis Georgelin. The president of the Public Establishment for the Restoration of Notre-Dame believes that the stoppage of the site because of the confinement should not call into question the timetable set by Emmanuel Macron to restore the monument in five years.
One year to the day after the Notre-Dame fire, how do you intend to commemorate this sad anniversary on Wednesday April 15?
JEAN-LOUIS GEORGELIN. For more than a month, the minds of French people and of the whole world have been monopolized by the formidable challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic. And the Notre-Dame fire passed after, of course. On this morning of April 15, nothing is planned, the time has come for sobriety. The idea that we had had was to bring together the three main actors of the evening of the fire: the President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron) who had expressed forcefully: "Part of us burned", the mayor of Paris (Anne Hidalgo) and the archbishop (Mgr Michel Aupetit) . That's no longer news. But this Wednesday evening, we will ring the drone of the cathedral at 8 p.m., in union with the applause of the French, who, every evening, express their gratitude to the admirable caregivers.
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Is the stopping of the site due to confinement not likely to be detrimental to the condition of the cathedral? Does this unexpected call into question the commitment made by Emmanuel Macron of a restoration in five years?
No, Notre-Dame will not suffer from the stalling of the site that I decided on Monday, March 16 in the morning. Everything is stopped, but we have a dozen people who ensure the security of the site. As for the calendar, despite the pandemic, we will be able to roll up our sleeves to meet our 2024 commitment. The difficulty is that we do not know the duration of confinement. But if it is around one or two months, I intend to catch up.
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One year after the disaster, is Notre-Dame saved?
As long as we have not completed the dismantling of the scaffolding nor inspected the vault in detail, formally, we cannot say that the cathedral is completely saved. That said, for a year, sensors placed on the pillars, the vault ... record its slightest movements, and we have not noticed anything extraordinary. We did not have to deplore any rock fall, apart from four or five. And the two towers are solid. So even if we are careful, we have reason to be optimistic.
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Where is the construction site today?
We had to enter a more active phase with the dismantling of the disaster scaffolding that we had stabilized and girdled since mid-February. The major risk being a collapse on itself, during disassembly, of this metal structure made up of 40,000 pieces… The companions had also started working at night to clear the upper part of the vaults, still cluttered with vestiges of the fire . As soon as possible, certain targeted operations will resume: I think of the dozen rope access technicians responsible for dismantling, for whom physical distancing is fairly easy to respect. The disassembly will be finished in the middle of the summer, perhaps a little late.
What will happen next?
As part of the securing and consolidation phase, it will also be necessary to secure the interior part of the vaults and install a permanent umbrella. Then, it will be a question of launching the restoration, as soon as the chief architect, Philippe Villeneuve, will have finalized the studies of restoration in progress. Finally, the organ is a building site within the building site. It must be removed quickly because if it appears to be intact, it has received a lot of lead dust. It must therefore be dismantled, cleaned and tuned.
Will an international competition be organized for the reconstruction of the spire, knowing that a very lively debate opposes the supporters of an identical restoration and the "modernists" who argue for a contemporary architectural gesture?
It seems unlikely that the roof of Notre-Dame will be transformed into a hanging garden or coworking space! We will take within a short time the appropriate decision to restore the cathedral to its silhouette, a silhouette. Contest or consultation? We will specify the terms before the end of the year.
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Who will ultimately decide?
On this major architectural question which inspires architects around the world with picturesque, sometimes eccentric projects, it is not me who decides, even if I have an opinion that I do not have to express. The National Commission for Heritage and Architecture (CNPA) will be consulted for an opinion. I also have a scientific council around me. Ultimately, the role of the President of the Republic will be decisive in the conclusion of this debate.
And for the frame?
There are three options: metallic as in Chartres, concrete as in Reims, wood as it was in Notre-Dame. The chief architect's studies on the subject will probably be presented in July to the CNPA. And we will see.
Consultation, referendum… How will the French be associated with these choices?
Everything is possible. But I do not have the feeling that there will be a referendum. In any case, the decision that will be taken will take into account the feelings of the French.
Lead is still present inside and on the forecourt. How to deal with this pollution?
The cathedral has not emitted lead for a long time. We try, by cleaning, to lower the lead level inside, which remains high but not in unacceptable proportions. We will continue to clean up. This justifies the security measures taken to protect the companions. As for the forecourt, property of the City, it is up to it to decide the date of its reopening.
How much will the restoration of Notre-Dame cost?
It is impossible for me to establish the total cost of the site since we have not completed the diagnostic study. We can respond at the end of the year. To date, out of the 902 million euros in donations and pledges, 188 million have been collected and I would like to express my deep gratitude to all of the 340,000 donors.
