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The following was written by John McConnell, architectural historian, who will be giving the March 27 presentation:
The world watched, horrified, as fire ravaged the ancient Notre-Dame Cathedral in April 2019. The very next day the President of France, Émmanuel Macron, vowed that the treasured building — one of the symbols of the entire nation — would be reopened in just five year’s time, following the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Many expressed doubt, given the gravity of the damage, that this was an achievable goal, or that the structure could even be saved at all.
An understanding of the damage, the unknown precariousness of the 90% that remained, and a plan for moving forward all needed to be created. The overarching story line leading, five years later, to a magnificent result, is one that comprises a leadership team of architects and engineers, the assembly of an army of highly-skilled craftspeople, vast financial support from around the world, and the determination to pull off what seemed impossible.
The building was eventually shrouded inside and out in towering scaffolding, and temporary new roof was put in place to protect from rain, the stone vaulting and flying buttresses were painstakingly shored up with custom wood supports, and the job of cleaning the fine — and toxic — lead-filled ash and dust from every nook and surface was undertaken.
After deciding, amidst numerous modern proposals, to restore the building exactly as it had been, the reconstruction work was begun. Oak timbers were harvested from every part of France and shaped into the network of timber trusses that would carry the new roof.
Much of the stained glass was removed, cleaned, re-leaded and replaced — in many cases with new “medieval” glass replacing damaged sections. The great overhead stone vaults, which had collapsed in 3 places, were rebuilt by masons and sculptors using medieval techniques. The great bells were removed and cleaned, as were both the historic pipe organs. Chandeliers were rebuilt; new altars and baptismal fonts were created — the list goes on.
The entire building was cleaned. And finally the world saw, upon the re-dedication in December of 2024, an architectural masterpiece as it hadn’t been seen in nearly 800 years: dazzlingly white.
Join me on Thursday, March 27 at the Winchester Public Library, starting at 7 p.m., for a free presentation about the restoration.
The presentation is sponsored by Winchester Jumelage Inc, which administers the town’s 35-year Twin City relationship with Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, an historic western suburb of Paris.
