“Proud to make Notre-Dame de Paris even more beautiful” Philippe Jost

“When it reopens, Notre-Dame will be more beautiful than before the fire. This was the wish of the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and I am happy and proud to be able to say that we are on the verge of meeting this challenge , despite the pessimistic voices of those who estimated at the time that it would take twenty years to restore the cathedral. Five years already… of intense and difficult work, certainly, but guided by the feeling of participating in a formidable and incredible human experience. with the thousands of people who worked on this project, on the site itself and throughout France in the various workshops where excellent know-how is transmitted. Because quality has never been sacrificed, despite the deadlines.

I think a lot about General Georgelin, my predecessor in this position, who died in a mountain accident in August 2023: he established confidence in this ambitious deadline and, despite the shock of his disappearance, we made sure to remain mobilized, tended towards this goal, as he would have wanted it. We owed it to him. I particularly remember this significant moment in November 2022, when the first torn vault was finally closed: what emotion went through us, with the teams mobilized to heal the wounds of Notre-Dame! But in reality, if we leaf through the album of the five years of this exceptional project, we see that it is lavish in symbolic and strong memories, associated with each particular space of the cathedral and with different professions. Thus, I could cite among many others the removal, at the end of 2020, of the scaffolding which surrounded the spire, an spire that we saw rise again in the sky of Paris, at the end of 2023. It was a very intense moment, the wound from the fire that we could actually see closing. The mass in honor of General Georgelin, celebrated under the new framework of the choir erected blank in the carpenters’ workshops in Anjou, on September 10, 2023, will also remain engraved in our memories.

I also remember the moment when the great organ sounded again for the first time in the cathedral. It was spring 2024 and I was even able to perform a few notes on the keyboard. I was overwhelmed to hear again this voice from the cathedral which will soon respond to that of the bells, which were reassembled in the north belfry last September. It is true that I am personally very touched by music. Hearing, I think, of all our senses, is the one that speaks most directly to the heart.

There has been much talk of a “Notre-Dame effect”. I confirm it: the vast majority of women and men who worked on the building – and I place myself among them – are well aware of experiencing an exceptional collective adventure. Of course, we have all given a lot in terms of working hours, commitment, fatigue, pressure… But in return, what a privilege! We received even more. What is at stake here at Notre-Dame, and everyone has clearly felt it, is a sense of commitment, unity, proximity, simplicity and truth.

There may be some “baby blues” for some of us after the excitement of the reopening of the cathedral. However, the work will not be finished and the task remains fascinating. As project owner, the public establishment Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris will still have to complete the roofing of the two openwork floors of the spire at the beginning of 2025. We will also tackle the restoration of the buttresses of the bedside which needed to be restored even before the fire. This project covering the exterior parts of the monument will take around three years.

But we should add to this list the exterior elevations of the sacristy, the north and south facades of the monument which need to be cleaned. The three large roses that we did not dismantle during the current project, would need to be restored and probably doubled like those of the Sainte Chapelle… To finance all of these other exterior works, the balance of the money from national collection will not be enough.

Of course, I once again send a big thank you to the 340,000 donors who, by participating, each according to their means, made it possible to save the cathedral. But when I am asked whether I should continue to give, I answer without hesitation: “yes” Notre-Dame still needs the mobilization of everyone and we will launch new calls for donations for this new phase of construction.

In the meantime, this reopening is a real achievement. Where the whole world, whose interest in Notre-Dame has never wavered, will see the best of what France is capable of doing, when it unites to move in the same direction. We are proud of the duty accomplished and of allowing the doors to open again so that everyone, pilgrim or visitor, can discover a cathedral that is still magnificent but even more dazzling with beauty. It will be dazzling.