After five years of renovation and reconstruction, the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral has reopened its doors in recent days. The colossal project involved numerous companies, some of which are based in Wallonia. Here's an overview.
On April 15, 2019, emotions ran high in France and around the world. Notre-Dame de Paris was engulfed in flames, and its spire collapsed through the roof. Five years later, the monument has reopened its doors to the public after a grand inauguration attended by fifty heads of state and government officials.
Wallonia played a part in the reconstruction of the iconic cathedral, famously featured in Victor Hugo's novel.
While Notre-Dame was still smoldering, the Walloon company Artbois, based in Étalle in Luxembourg province, was contacted to supply beams to stabilize the structure and prevent its collapse. Artbois specializes in manufacturing laminated wood beams for use in residential buildings, sports halls, storage facilities, and bridges.
“We urgently supplied four truckloads of 24-meter beams to support the walls and prevent them from collapsing. We were called the day after the fire. We arrived during the night, and the embers were still glowing. They searched everywhere, but we were the only ones able to react quickly enough. We had beams in stock for another client and worked day and night using an exclusive process unique to our company, which allows us to produce much faster than others,” summarized Patrick Vanhorenbeeck, managing director, in an interview with L’Echo.
Walloon Blue Stone
Another Walloon company also played a key role in the restoration of Notre-Dame. Les Carrières du Hainaut supplied 800 square meters of blue stone to reconstruct the cathedral’s damaged floor, which had been impacted by the spire’s fall into the heart of the building.
“They took the opportunity to recreate the checkerboard pattern, with one half made of stone from Les Carrières du Hainaut and the other half of Lunel marble, also known as Napoleon marble, sourced from the French quarry in Boulogne-sur-Mer,” explained Eric Dothée, CEO of Les Carrières du Hainaut, in an interview with L’Echo.
The company, based in Soignies, was chosen for its expertise, the large volumes required, and its ability to provide a product most similar to the original. The blue stone from Les Carrières du Hainaut is already used in historic landmarks such as the Cinquantenaire, the Palais des Beaux-Arts, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and the Madison Square Garden subway station in New York.
“Notre-Dame de Paris is an excellent reference project since it is known worldwide,” concluded Eric Dothée, who revealed that the company’s next project is the Belgian pavilion for the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.
