More than two years have passed since the Notre-Dame fire. If the rehabilitation of the cathedral itself should follow the original plan, the surroundings of the building that we know will be deeply redesigned. In June 2022, the town hall of Paris unveiled the winning project which will bring its mark to the forecourt, green spaces and basements surrounding the most famous Gothic monument in the world.
Led by the Belgian landscaper Bas Smets, the selected project promises several surprises, articulated around a triptych made of greenery, water and stone.
“It is an elegant and sober project, in accordance with the specifications, which clearly stood out”
Ariel Weil, mayor of Paris Center and member of the selection jury
Four teams were in the race. Their most beautiful creations will be exhibited from June 28 to August 28, 2022, at the Pavillon de l’Arsenal (Paris IVe). As for Bas Smets, he will see his drawings take shape and emerge from the ground between 2024 and 2027.
In addition to the dual intention of creating an island of freshness for Parisians in the heart of the capital and better welcoming the millions of tourists expected, the project is full of playful and technical details, which we dissect here.
A forecourt transformed into a clearing
The whole forecourt that you know will be redesigned. “Without distorting everything”, assures the landscape designer from the outset, aware of the sensitive nature of the exercise. “We are going to take typical elements of Paris and adapt them to new uses, new expectations and the climate changes already at work”.
The “clearing” will therefore house an ephemeral body of water, supplied by the non-potable water network already used to water the municipal gardens and clean the streets of the capital.
“Like the twinkling of the Eiffel Tower, we could think about appointments so that visitors can enjoy it”
Bas Smets, the selected landscape architect
A nod to the many impressionist paintings that have depicted the building, offering people the opportunity to “walk on water” or even bringing water to where the cathedral burned… from the juries to the visitors, including the clerics, each already draws from it a source of symbols.
A 400 meter park along the southern flank of the old lady
From the statue of Charlemagne to the Memorial of the Martyrs of the Deportation – at the eastern tip of the island – a vast garden will be redesigned and densified. “In Paris, there are very few lawns along the Seine, it’s a very mineral space”, remarks the landscape designer while hoping that once everything is shaded, tourists and Parisians will be able to meet there, stings -to have lunch or simply to rest.
Behind the monument, the current square Jean-XXIII will be particularly redesigned. “We don’t realize, but the spaces in front and behind the cathedral are the same length. The existing hedge and the railings fragment the space”, remarks the landscaper.
The gates surrounding the cathedral will be preserved, “for heritage reasons and to protect the building from possible manifestations of vandalism”, explains Emmanuel Grégoire, first deputy mayor. “We made the opposite choice for Square Jean-XXIII. But we are well aware that it will be necessary to provide the necessary human resources to secure and maintain the site. »
A belvedere on the Seine
Few Parisians know it, and for good reason, it is accessible by the Quai de l’Archevêché and hidden by a vast wire-mesh hedge: the Square d’Île-de-France. In addition to its little-known character, the landscape gardener is eyeing it for two reasons: the presence of the Memorial to the Martyrs of Deportation and the breathtaking perspective of the Seine, the quays and the Île Saint-Louis.
“We obviously wanted to preserve, even to highlight the Memorial to the Martyrs of Deportation, inaugurated by President Chirac when he was mayor of Paris”, insists Emmanuel Grégoire.
Calmed traffic and a redesigned rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame
The current quai de l’Archevêché and rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame – which runs along the north facade of the monument – will be extensively repaired. On the menu: calm traffic, perspectives and tree planting.
As for the street running along the north facade of the cathedral, it should also be “appeased” and embellished with new plantings.
Between the sheet of water, the many shaded areas and the windbreak effect of the new plantations, the idea is to offer “a microclimate” to visitors, sums up the landscape designer.
Under the square, a passage open to the outside
Currently, under the forecourt of the cathedral, 3000 m² of space is divided between a car park and an archaeological crypt. A space also little known, which was revealed following the excavations carried out from 1962 to 1975, anticipating the underground parking project.
“These excavations have revealed the remains of Gallo-Roman public baths, a portion of the 4th century wall or even the foundations of several medieval houses”
Michel Fleury, archaeologist in charge of the excavation project
The removal of the car park will create a vast space dedicated to welcoming tourists. On the program: luggage storage, toilets, offices, conference rooms, cafeteria… “No shops. Enough to buy a coffee and a bottle of water, but no more. That’s not the spirit of the project,” says Emmanuel Grégoire.
In the Middle Ages, the square was much smaller than it is today. The opening of a staircase at the foot of the cathedral will restore this distance in relation to the facade and will make it possible to apprehend the monument as it was nearly 800 years ago, with an ascending reading of the monument.