2023-08-21 01:40:52
He will shorten his vacation to return this Monday, August 21 to Paris, and attend the tribute to Jean-Louis Georgelin at the Invalides, if the Élysée confirms it. Philippe Villeneuve, chief architect of Historic Monuments, formed with the general the main duo of the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris after the fire of April 15, 2019.
The death on Friday, during a hike in the Pyrenees, of the former chief of staff of the armies, who piloted the reconstruction, should not slow down the site. The reopening of the cathedral to the public will take place in 2024. Explanations.
What role did Jean-Louis Georgelin have in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame?
Emmanuel Macron had appointed General Georgelin president of the public establishment in charge of the Notre-Dame site on April 18, 2019, three days after the fire which ravaged the monument. The “Mister Reconstruction” was the project owner and led a team of around forty people. He chaired the board of directors made up of representatives of the State, the diocese and the city of Paris.
Every Thursday, Jean-Louis Georgelin, Philippe Villeneuve and Philippe Jost, deputy director general of the public establishment, had lunch together at the Élysée to take stock of the site.
Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, and the chief architect of Historic Monuments Philippe Villeneuve around President Emmanuel Macron, on April 14, during a visit to the Notre-Dame site. AFP/pool/Sarah Meyssonnier
This formal meeting had become a moment of conviviality and laughter. The greedy general always accepted the architect’s dessert. “We got used to this work environment, we had an affection for each other. We spoke to each other without jargon. We had giggles, we yelled at each other without resentment. »
The general deployed his military qualities in the service of the site, planning the work to the millimeter. He had worried very early about the presence of a new organ and had ended up supporting the architect for the reconstruction of the spire identical to that of Viollet-le-Duc.
What are the consequences on the construction site?
Even if the general has successfully conducted most of the operations, there are just over fifteen months left before the reopening. His successor will be appointed by the President of the Republic, we do not know when, but given the tight deadlines, the announcement will not be long in coming. The bar is set high, the task difficult. Jean-Louis Georgelin overcame all obstacles.
“When he recognized the competence of a person, he trusted him,” says Philippe Villeneuve, like others who worked with him. When the architect banged his fist on the table, the general struggled to satisfy his request. Like cutting down the trees necessary for the construction of the framework as quickly as possible so that they can dry out. “Some had decided that we had time, I knew not. He trusted me and within an hour I got the green light to start the cut. It was in February 2021.
VIDEO. Death of General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who piloted the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris
The following month, the National Office of Forests donated 59 oaks in the forest of Villefermoy (Seine-et-Marne). In September, the Ile-de-France Green Spaces Agency put down 58 other trees in Ferrières-en-Brie, and two other centenarians were cut in Bondy (Seine-Saint-Denis). Some were bicentennial, measuring more than 20 m high.
Before being worked for the framework, the wood must rest between twelve and eighteen months, in the dry, to lose its humidity. A total of 2,400 oaks were sacrificed for Notre Dame, half of them to support the spire.
Where are the works?
The site is progressing well despite the Covid which had stopped it in 2020. The stained glass windows of the choir have been installed, the assembly of the frame of the spire is in progress and should be completed at the end of October.
On July 11, General Georgelin was on the quays of the Seine to receive the framework for the transept by boat. On July 20, while visiting the arrow’s manufacturing workshops in Lorraine, he repeated: “At the end of the year, we will see the arrow in the sky of Paris”.
In about ten days, the frames of the nave and the choir will arrive, they will restore the cathedral’s ridge height. This part dated from the 13th century, it was rebuilt with the techniques of the Middle Ages. Notre-Dame will find its famous oak forest, 100 m long and 10 m high. The year 2023 is indeed that of the carpenters! The reconstruction required the launching of one hundred works contracts.
What remains to be done?
When the framework is complete, the site can move on to the lead cover of the spire, in October – November 2023. The construction methodology is complex.
The framework must be completed to launch the vault of the crossing. “I couldn’t build scaffolding outside, it has to rest on the floor of the window. The general understood my position and managed to impose this complex technical methodology,” explains Philippe Villeneuve.
The restoration of the interior of Notre-Dame, the floors, the electrical networks, has started. The diocese of Paris will set up new liturgical furniture to replace the one that disappeared in the fire as well as new chairs for the faithful. He will also take care of the interior lighting and the sound system adapted to worship.
When will Notre-Dame open?
December 8, 2024. This date proposed by Jean-Louis Georgelin and the architect has been validated by the Élysée. The choice fell on the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated nine months before the feast of the nativity of Mary. “The deadlines will be met, assures Philippe Villeneuve. We were viscerally, he and I, braced to respect the schedule. We wanted to keep them, it was a matter of honor. »
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