BOISmag n°224
A supportive industry
On December 8, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris officially reopened its doors a little over five years after the fire of April 15, 2019, which destroyed the spire and the timber frames. From the very day after the tragedy, donations poured in from France and around the world to rebuild this emblematic monument of our heritage. After a few weeks of hesitation over the silhouette of the renewed cathedral, the decision to reconstruct it identically ultimately won unanimous support.
The 13th- and 19th-century roofs will therefore indeed be rebuilt in oak. Many trees—more than 2,000 in total—sourced, as in the past, from French forests were selected with the greatest care from the finest woodlands in the country. Here again, patronage played a major role, since all the oaks used for this reconstruction were donated by public and private forest owners. Centuries-old trees of exceptional size, capable of restoring all the splendor to these XXL timber frames: 100 meters long by 13 wide in the nave, 40 meters long by 10 meters high in the transept…
Now (almost) complete, this colossal worksite has helped shine a light on the full know-how of French craftspeople working with wood, as well as many other specialties previously little known to the general public (coppersmiths, quarrymen, patina artists, etc.). Widely covered by the media, it has also sparked new vocations with a “Notre-Dame effect” on heritage crafts, and apprentice numbers are rising in several pathways*, including carpentry and joinery. Finally, it has demonstrated the generosity of all those passionate about historic stonework—with more than 800 million euros in donations collected—and of wood enthusiasts, with an unprecedented outpouring of solidarity from the entire forest-wood sector despite the difficulties many professionals have faced in recent months.
As 2024 draws to a close, this exemplary project from start to finish—and its reopening on schedule—lets us end the year on a positive (organ) note and begin 2025 in the same spirit of solidarity and generosity. Wishing everyone a very happy new year!
Adèle Cazier