巴黎圣母院于2024年12月7日重新开放，这是自2019年火灾以来 首次向游客开放。巴黎圣母院的修复工程浩大，由首席建筑师菲利普·维伦纽夫（Philippe Villeneuve）牵头，雷米·弗罗蒙（Rémi Fromont）和帕斯卡尔·普吕内（Pascal Prunet）协助完成。该项目涉及约2000名工匠、250家公司，耗资约9亿美元，工程规模庞大，工期紧迫，工程复杂程度不一。尽管年底前建成开放是重要的里程碑，但修复工程尚未完工，预计持续到2026年。
确保结构安全
2019年4月，大火耗时五个多小时才被扑灭。紧急救援人员进入大教堂后，才发现教堂结构濒临倒塌，但钟楼、彩色玻璃玫瑰窗和珍贵的艺术品却基本完好无损。当务之急是加固剩余结构，防止进一步倒塌，并清除残骸。这项工作分阶段进行，耗时两年多。初步应急措施包括转移1300件艺术品并清理大量瓦砾。此外，还搭建了一个可滑动的“雨伞”，暂时替代了倒塌的屋顶部分。
关键的结构加固工作重点是加固拱顶和飞扶壁，然后拆除缠绕和损坏的脚手架，这些脚手架重达220吨，正威胁着大教堂单薄的墙体。遥控机器人被派去清理瓦砾、碎石和烧焦的横梁，所有建筑碎片都经过仔细分类，以确保其考古和科学价值。
整个纪念碑都安装了传感器，用于记录任何结构位移，同时安装了木拱来支撑，并评估其状态。内部搭建了超过80英尺高的脚手架，以便通行和进一步加固。横断面的加固标志着这一初始阶段的完成，可以开始全面修复，在此期间甚至还有两座教堂进行了初步修复。
重建尖顶和屋顶
巴黎圣母院最初的屋顶是由巨大的橡木梁精心打造的网络结构，因此得名“森林”。为了重建这座标志性建筑，全国上下发出了号召，各社区团结起来，慷慨解囊。从公民个人到国有森林，为这一不朽工程提供的木材源源不断地运抵，见证了共同的民族遗产。所需木材清单根据Viollet-le-Duc的计划编制，许多树干必须笔直，长度超过20米，直径50厘米。经过预选，一千棵选定的橡树于2021年3月开始采伐。
这次修复工作中最令人印象深刻的部分之一--重建圣母院中殿、唱诗班和横厅的橡木框架和铅制屋顶--拉开了序幕。重建过程尊重了Viollet-le-Duc在 1859 年至 1864 年期间建造的尖塔和主阁楼的原始设计，以及同样毁于火灾的中殿和唱诗班的 13 世纪结构。
木匠们采用传统的刻划技术，用预先选定的橡木打造尖顶框架，并在安装前进行组件测试。尖顶的镂空和针状结构将用铅包裹，并饰以装饰元素，顶部则装饰着十字架和公鸡。同时，中殿和唱诗班的框架也将采用13世纪的技术重建，包括用方形橡木梁打造桁架式椽子支撑系统，最后用铅板覆盖。竣工的建筑将成为大教堂修复工程的显著标志。
2024年初，巴黎圣母院的修复工作取得了显著进展，主要屋顶结构已完工。唱诗班的框架结构尺寸为32米 x 14米 x 10米，已于1月完工；随后，教堂中殿屋顶的最后桁架于3月安装完毕。由建筑师维奥莱-勒-杜克设计的标志性尖顶以及整个屋顶结构的重建工作是一个重要的持续阶段，教堂的全面修复预计将于2026年完成。
Restoration of the Vaults and Masonry
In addition to the forest of oak trees, the restoration required 1,300 cubic meters of limestone, matching the original "white Parisian banks" stone. Geological surveys pinpointed suitable quarries, providing both hard and softer stones for various structural and decorative elements. A specialized extraction process, involving precise cutting and rigorous quality control, ensured the highest quality materials.
As the stonework suffered fire and water damage, a desalinization process was necessary, using kaolin and clay compresses to remove salts from the masonry. Collapsed vaults were reconstructed using original methods: wooden struts supported newly cut stones, precisely replicating the original forms. The transept crossing vault, a crucial element, involved a complex process using temporary wooden arches to support the stone voussoirs before final completion. Damaged coped walls and tracery were repaired or replaced with precisely matched new stones. Severely damaged gable stones on the transept were also removed and replaced, while the statutes were restored on-site.
Conservation of Stained-Glass Windows, Sculptures and Artifacts
Notre Dame's gargoyles and chimeras are instantly recognizable, grotesque figures adorning the cathedral's exterior. Representing a blend of religious and secular imagery, they reflect medieval beliefs and artistic styles. While the "chimeras" represent strictly decorative elements, the "gargoyles" serve a functional purpose, acting as rainwater sprouts that deflect water from the cathedral's walls and foundations. During the fire, several of these exterior sculptures were damaged, therefore, at the foot of the cathedral, a dedicated workshop was installed where sculptors assessed the damage. Depending on their condition, some elements were completely re-carved while others only needed lost features to be re-made and attached to the original sculpture with a rod. Additionally, the massive Grand Organ, though spared by flames, required dismantling for cleaning.
Another representative feature of the cathedral is its stained glass windows, dating from the 13th and 19th centuries. Several of these windows had been removed before the 2019 fire in order to be restored. The rest of the windows, some having suffered smoke damage, have also been removed, documented, cleaned, and conserved by specialized workshops before reinstallation.
In a controversial decision, French President Macron has launched a plan to replace 19th-century stained-glass windows at Notre Dame Cathedral with contemporary designs, despite the windows not being damaged during the fire. While the windows are not original, replacing them evokes past controversies surrounding modern window installations in the 1930s, highlighting a recurring tension between preservation and artistic innovation. The project continues despite significant opposition.
Restoring the Interiors
The Notre Dame interior restoration addressed fire damage and centuries of accumulated grime. Initial dusting removed lead dust from the collapsed vaults using specialized vacuums. Subsequently, a latex application and removal method cleaned the interior walls, revealing the original stone color. This technique, while used previously at St. Paul's Cathedral, generated concerns then and now regarding potential damage and the creation of an "artificially brightened" and ahistorical appearance. While the restoration body assures the goal is to restore original colors, not create a white interior, critics raise concerns about the prioritization of cleanliness over historical accuracy. The debate highlights the inherent tension between modern restoration techniques and preserving a monument's historical patina.
The unfortunate events of April 2019 led, in a way, to the recreation of a process that has shaped Europe's architectural history for hundreds of years: the construction site of a cathedral, where workmen and craftsmen from across counties and nations gather for a shared purpose. The French administration, instead of relying on a single contractor for the ambitious works, employed over 250 businesses, small workshops, and niche experts. It became a rare opportunity to employ and showcase diverse skills, some on the verge of disappearance. It all came together on the small island of Île de la Cité in central Paris, on a construction site that, at its peak saw over 600 workers daily, a complex choreography that allowed the Notre Dame Cathedral to be reborn.
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