Notre Dame Now Steady For Repair And Could Fully Reopen By 2024 Olympics
Image via Shutterstock
More than two years after the devastating fire that consumed the Notre Dame Cathedral, workers have cleaned and stabilized it enough for the iconic building to be rebuilt.
Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, the task force in-charge of restoring the landmark, announced that work is on track to be completed by spring 2024, just in time for the Paris Olympics.
French President Emmanuel Macron had originally set the goal back in 2019, and it seems the ambitious timeline may just come true.
“We’re officially saying that the cathedral is now saved, that it’s solid on its pillars, that its walls are solid, everything is holding together,” Jean-Louis Georgelin, Head of Rebâtir Notre-Dame, told BFM TV.
“We are determined to win this battle of 2024, to re-open our cathedral in 2024. It will be France’s honor to do so, and we will do so because we are all united on this goal,” he added.
According to Artnet News, the first phase of the reconstruction, which has been completed, had workers reinforcing the structure’s buttresses, restoring its gargoyles, and removing over 40,000 pieces of damaged scaffolding that had burnt in the fire.
This month, the team will embark on a “thorough cleaning process” of the cathedral’s interior walls and floors, with construction on the building’s exterior to begin in the next several months.
In total, the country raised nearly US$950 million from private and corporate donors, which will go towards funding the extensive project.
The final goal will be for the Notre Dame Cathedral to make a “comeback” by hosting a full service on April 16, 2024.
[via Artnet News, cover image via Shutterstock]
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