Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

- Cover of The Economist in 2017:
The economist 2017
The economist 2017
1st image: "The Tower"
It does make sense the 'church' tower (cross above door) splitting in fire representing secularism vs religion in the background, but I also think it represents Grenfell Tower too with Trumps 'Judgement' card giving a tilted nod

Grenfell Tower fire: 14th June 2017
Total deaths: 72

Donald Trump 71st birthday: 14th June 2017
71st birthday = start of 72nd year according to the 'old ways' (for example, I am 39 years old but in my 40th year - ie we are all zero years old in our first year of birth)

With France in mind, I also thought the Hermit card was intriguing: The mob protest through the canyon are yellow, waving blue and red banners as opposition colours such like the Democrats and Republicans, or Left and Right coming together as the Gilets Jaunes movement. The globe in the bottom corner also looks to depict the North American continent with a crack coming down from the Arctic separating French Canada from Anglo Canada.
 
The statues were long removed before the fire.
It was a long term project. I'm going to assume they had to packup more than just statues. Look at all the scaffolding, it was itself a project, so the argument that work hadn't even started just narrows from speculation that the activity going on there isn't a consideration. And I think it is, and a important consideration.
 
It was a long term project. I'm going to assume they had to packup more than just statues. Look at all the scaffolding, it was itself a project, so the argument that work hadn't even started just narrows from speculation that the activity going on there isn't a consideration. And I think it is, and a important consideration.

Why so much "assuming"? I think if your speculation is correct then you can say "I told you so". I don't think anyone has said it is not an important consideration but I have not seen much supporting evidence for careless workmanship or site management.
 
ANOTHER IMPRESSION that first came up for me, is the fact that France has been selling off monuments for a long time already, privatizing airports, highways, etc. Next thing we will know is that Notre-Dame will be sold to private interests because it is too expensive and complex to fix. The same has happenend in many EU countries, notably in Ireland, when I lived there between 1984-88 the government was selling castles like lego sets. Because they couldnt afford (because of debt) to upkeep them. When castles didnt find buyers they were bulldozed. And this is well documented.... It's France's turn now?! Because EU says so under the IMF loans?!....

Certain financial interests have purchased monuments and the likes planet-wide in the past 50 years... That is part of the reason to overthrow governements and install puppet leaders. Then when a sense of normalcy returns and elections and a bit of justice, it is too late to undo the scams of the previous governments... South America has certainly had their share of those shananigans....
 
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About this project for a global re-building of the Ile de la Cité, hereafter a short 3D video named "Mission Île de la Cité, the heart of heart" showing what it could/will be to walk on the South Promenade, and from the architect's Youtube account Dominique Perrault (the very same from a previous comment on the thread), the architect and urban planner who designed "The Great Library François Mitterrand":


The Ile de la Cité is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage.
I noticed at 0.20 - 0.40 secs in the Paris Police Prefecture HQ shows a French flag atop large glass dome which looks to become a new landmark feature. Here are 2 more pics showing the design:
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With the designs for the new spire looking to be notably more prominent than the original, it would suggest the new female-principle 'womb' needs a befitting male-principle 'phallus' to counterbalance appropriately: Secular law administered under an all-encompassing dome to contrast Religious law projecting above the city its new power-spire.
 
I don't think anyone has said it is not an important consideration but I have not seen much supporting evidence for careless workmanship or site management.

They should be the first to scrutinize in my opinion. They were there.

It just seems like there is a lot of conspiracy mindedness that I wanted to inject some other possibilities that are more directly connected to what happened.

It seems there is turmoil in France, so the blaming of politicians and business is understandable, but maybe simple human error, or accident caused this, and so the culprits feed into the agnst already directed at the system, and scrutinize their motives and not even care about what actually happened - not that we'd ever know or believe it all - given the level of distrust.

So, politics are mingled into this and whatever happened is not a concern... it is used to blacken others further and inflame the turmoil further.
 
They should be the first to scrutinize in my opinion. They were there.

It just seems like there is a lot of conspiracy mindedness that I wanted to inject some other possibilities that are more directly connected to what happened.

It seems there is turmoil in France, so the blaming of politicians and business is understandable, but maybe simple human error, or accident caused this, and so the culprits feed into the agnst already directed at the system, and scrutinize their motives and not even care about what actually happened - not that we'd ever know or believe it all - given the level of distrust.

So, politics are mingled into this and whatever happened is not a concern... it is used to blacken others further and inflame the turmoil further.
The thing is, you need the in-between stages (plural) to go from setting alight 'kindle' whether in the form of dust, newspapers, straw, hay, cigarettes, birds nests, or whatever, to then leap-frog the in-between stages (plural) to igniting large chunks of dense wood. Burning 'Kindle' will only maybe catch hold very large chunks of dense wood if there is massive amounts of kindle in the first place to effectively sustain an inferno-level fire long enough without being noticed. From what you are saying; there was no 'in-between' stages (plural); it went from stage A to stage F without passing through stages B C D and E.
 
The thing is, you need the in-between stages (plural) to go from setting alight 'kindle' whether in the form of dust, newspapers, straw, hay, cigarettes, birds nests, or whatever, to then leap-frog the in-between stages (plural) to igniting large chunks of dense wood. Burning 'Kindle' will only maybe catch hold very large chunks of dense wood if there is massive amounts of kindle in the first place to effectively sustain an inferno-level fire long enough without being noticed. From what you are saying; there was no 'in-between' stages (plural); it went from stage A to stage F without passing through stages B C D and E.
If you are talking about the timbers, of course they won't instantly be consumed in fire. But there are the roofing planks - the wood that is attached to the timbers. That would be the starting point. And the planks are at an angle so that fire to them spreads fast. And as the roof is clad in lead, the roof (attic space) is like a oven intensifying the heat... and the heated lead - I theorise - acts like a catalytic converter once the planks reach a level of burning... remember the pictures of the steeple when it was ablaze? The parts that weren't burned through were aglow. The heated metal assisted in the infernos intensity.

And the walkway in the attic is a good starting point too. And the ceiling - which is cement - continually heats the roof, keeping the wood in the attic always very dry.

So, some material starts to burn, catches the planks on fire, it heats up really fast, the lead assists in the heating by baking, and then the timbers are hot enough to burn.

And they didn't completely burn, because there were pictures of broken timbers all over the ceiling.
 
They should be the first to scrutinize in my opinion. They were there.

It just seems like there is a lot of conspiracy mindedness that I wanted to inject some other possibilities that are more directly connected to what happened.

It seems there is turmoil in France, so the blaming of politicians and business is understandable, but maybe simple human error, or accident caused this, and so the culprits feed into the agnst already directed at the system, and scrutinize their motives and not even care about what actually happened - not that we'd ever know or believe it all - given the level of distrust.

So, politics are mingled into this and whatever happened is not a concern... it is used to blacken others further and inflame the turmoil further.

I would say your ideas are close to most of the MSM answers given.

How did it start?
7 APRIL 2019 • 8:14AM
The Paris prosecutor's office said it was treating the fire as an accident, ruling out arson and possible terror-related motives, at least for now.

The fire began around 6.50 pm (5.50pm UK time) on Monday evening.

"I was not far away, I saw the smoke. At first I thought it was the Hotel-Dieu (hospital) but then I realised it was the cathedral. When I arrived, ash was beginning to fall," said Olivier De Chalus, head volunteer guide of the cathedral.

So an "accident" started the fire. It's just that there are no details for how it started. It is just an "accident".

Notre Dame fire started at the center of the cathedral's roof, says police source
April 20, 2019
Paris (CNN)Investigators have pinpointed the start of the fire that ripped through Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday, a police source told CNN.
After police reviewed a cache of amateur video and photos from local residences, investigators believe the fire started at the center of the cathedral's roof towards the base of the iconic spiral, the police source said.
The police source also told CNN that investigators are focusing on two potential problems relating to the outbreak of the fire. One issue under investigation is a possible problem with the fire alarm system sensors.
Investigators' second line of inquiry, the source said, relates to the elevators that were built for the construction workers.
The source provided no additional details on that.

Two security guards at the cathedral told police they noticed the flames for the first time only when the flames were already almost 3 meters high ‪at 6:43 p.m. local time (12:43 p.m. ET), indicating the fire alarm sensors might not have been working properly, the police source told CNN.
The first alarm rang ‪at 6:15 p.m. local time. An alert flashed on the Notre Dame security control screens showing which sensor was sending the alert.
According to the police source, the two security agents went to check the location but didn't see anything at that time. When the second alarm rang ‪at 6:43 p.m. local time, the two security agents followed the alarm system instructions and went to another location at the top of the cathedral, where they then saw the flames.

Prosecutors are investigating if a short-circuit caused the fire
Paris prosecutors are investigating if an electrical short-circuit caused the fire that ripped through the cathedral.
A judicial source told CNN on Thursday that "we are not excluding any hypothesis at this stage," saying that this is not their only line of inquiry.
The cathedral was undergoing renovations at the time of the fire. Some scrutiny has fallen on the firms undertaking work on the 150-year-old spire, which collapsed Monday as the flames raged around it.

Of the four companies contracted to carry out renovations at Notre Dame, two companies -- scaffolding firm Europe Echafaudage and art conservationists Socra -- had work in progress there at the time of the fire. Neither company had workers on site when the fire broke out.
The fire devastated large parts of the 850-year-old building before it was finally extinguished after a nine-hour battle.
Scores of priceless artifacts were rescued from the flames, and were taken to the Louvre museum for safekeeping. The bees that live on the roof of Notre Dame also survived the devastating fire, beekeeper Nicolas Geant told CNN.
The Paris fire service said the operation was one of the most complex it had ever undertaken, and at one point, it was feared that the entire structure might be lost.
CNN's Saskya Vandoorne, Kara Fox and Gianluca Mezzofiore contributed to this report.

Notre Dame Cathedral fire: What caused it and what happens next
APRIL 22, 2019 12:21 PM PDT
French judicial police believe an electrical short-circuit is most likely what caused the devastating fire that blazed through Paris' historic Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday. According to the anonymous official who spoke with the Associated Press on Thursday, investigators still aren't allowed inside the cathedral for safety reasons.

Authorities are still investigating the fire as an accident but are taking the cathedral's outdated fire-prevention safeguards into consideration, The New York Times reported.

Elements like firewalls and sprinkler systems were reportedly missing from Notre Dame's attic, where the fire burned, by choice. Electrical wiring reportedly wasn't allowed in the cathedral's attic to preserve its original design and to protect the lead ceiling's timber support beams.

Valérie Pécresse, the president of the Île-de-France region in which Paris lies, confirmed Tuesday that the fire was an accident, though officials haven't elaborated on the exact cause. Paris police said it may be linked to the $6.8 million renovation efforts underway.

It is just kind of strange I think when you can say something is "confirmed" an "accident" but you can't elaborate on the exact cause. But the "judicial police" suspect it is caused by a short in an electrical circuit (which always must be accidental I guess).

I do think your point about the thinner slats supporting the lead roof is something to consider. I am just still wondering how the ignition of the fire will be explained (if ever). So far it seems they are saying it started in the center where the spire was located.

So, politics are mingled into this and whatever happened is not a concern... it is used to blacken others further and inflame the turmoil further.

I kind of think the politics whether having any direct part in this event or just taking advantage of it it for political purposes may be the most disturbing aspect for me and is a concern. Inflaming turmoil is also not something I would say "is not a concern".

Just being the first one on the block to solve the mystery of the fire's "exact cause" is for me secondary at the moment anyway.
 
Burning 'Kindle' will only maybe catch hold very large chunks of dense wood if there is massive amounts of kindle in the first place to effectively sustain an inferno-level fire long enough without being noticed. From what you are saying; there was no 'in-between' stages (plural); it went from stage A to stage F without passing through stages B C D and E.
Well said !!! :-)
Many many people don't get this aspect of "starting a fire". The worst one that I have read went more or less like this, "Well the oak has many micro cracks. The dust of 800 yrs collects in there and is a easy source of igniting a fire.

Note the amount of litter and that 800 yr. old dust in the cracks. :whistle:

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Forgive me for repeating this question: Has anyone on the French side of the lanuage barrior seen detailed measurements of Notre Dame ? Obviously I am interested in the roof area and the size of the wood. Thanks.
 
No, no, no. Not in this context.

"Un canard" (a duck) is the slang word for "newspaper" in French. I think that their name, "The tied duck", is to implies that they cannot talk about all they would like to talk. This newspaper is known to be close to secret services and police. So informations it deliver is interesting but need to be taken with a grain of salt.
I would say, in this context yes. I understand your point that it is slang for newspaper, but would say that it is often closer to telling stories. It carries leaks from secret services and police as you say but also from governments. Those leaks are to give the idea that it is the truth, but instead steers the population in a certain direction. On foreign policy it follows the globalist, deep state line. When I first encountered it some 20 years ago, I found it interesting, but discovered over time what I have outlined above. The problem with a grain of salt is, how do you remove it when it is served in an omelette (using duck eggs)?

Le Canard enchaîné
(French pronunciation: [lə kanaʁ‿ɑ̃ʃɛne]; English: The Chained Duck or The Chained Paper, as "canard" is French slang meaning "newspaper"), is a satirical weekly newspaper in France. Its headquarters is in Paris.[1]

Founded in 1915 during World War I, it features investigative journalism and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and humorous cartoons. Le Canard enchaîné does not accept any advertisements and is privately owned, mostly by its own employees.
 
They should be the first to scrutinize in my opinion. They were there.
It just seems like there is a lot of conspiracy mindedness that I wanted to inject some other possibilities that are more directly connected to what happened.
It seems there is turmoil in France, so the blaming of politicians and business is understandable, but maybe simple human error, or accident caused this, and so the culprits feed into the agnst already directed at the system, and scrutinize their motives and not even care about what actually happened - not that we'd ever know or believe it all - given the level of distrust.
So, politics are mingled into this and whatever happened is not a concern... it's is used to blacken others further and inflame the turmoil further.

You know, the ND fire (with all the recent information as to it's condition prior to it's needed total refit), is just like the twin towers and how Larry Silverstein was able to profit and avoiding possible bankruptcy. Do you think that France's (Deep State Connections), would not do the same?
 
Last development from Macron about the reconstruction of Notre-Dame:

Emmanuel Macron wants to use prescriptions to rebuild Notre-Dame in 5 years

Emmanuel Macron is definitely ready for anything for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame over five years. The question now is whether he is acting sincerely and setting a five-year deadline for such an important project or whether he is using Notre-Dame for political purposes with the sole aim of achieving his eventual re-election. In any case, in either case, he has absolutely nothing to lose.

On Tuesday, April 16, in a speech, the French President surprised many, promising the reconstruction of Notre-Dame within five days. " (...) I tell you this evening with strength: we are this people of builders. We have so much to rebuild. Then, yes, we will rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral, even more beautiful. And I want it to be completed within five years," he said.

The day after this declaration, many specialists expressed reservations about the deadline set by the President of the Republic. For many architects, rebuilding Notre-Dame in five years is a chimera. Reconstruction is possible, but over several years.

Despite the reservations expressed by architects who were perfectly familiar with this subject, Macron insisted on wanting to rebuild everything in five years, even if it meant doing so by prescription. Indeed, on Wednesday, a bill for the five-year reconstruction of an eight-hundred year old cathedral was presented to the Council of Ministers.

In the press, we are informed that the text provides for authorizing the government to legislate by ordinances to ease the constraints of future reconstruction work. Thus, the works could not be subject to the public procurement code, there would also be less constraint on environmental standards, there could for example not be an environmental impact study of the works.

And that's not all. Notre-Dame could avoid the strict rules that govern work on historic monuments. According to Europe 1, there would be "more flexibility, with fewer procedures, authorisations and visits to committees". "This means that there would be no chief architect of historic monuments, usually the master on board in this kind of project," says Europe 1.

Well yes, if everything is ready... all that is missing is the official presidential boost so that the project is no longer one and can really see the light of day.

That's the conclusion of the French focus just published about this project:

L'incendie de Notre-Dame met en lumière un projet pré-existant de rénovation de l'Île de la Cité
"The Notre-Dame fire highlights a pre-existing project to renovate Île de la Cité"

Edit: I did not succeed to get the same result view of Sott Focus as Chu did although I used the same code surrounding the URL link of the article... :-/
French SOTT published a summary of the events, with much of what has been discusssed here:


Most of what is inside was also shared here before, however, there is a bit more...

I did not really understand how Chu did to copy-paste "easily" (maybe not that easily... or by Pro access?) the whole previous French Focus about the fire...
So, I used another translation tool which directly translates from an URL: _lexilogos.com/traduction_page.htm

As I'm not so sure that it offers the most accurate translation or as "goog enough" than Deepl, I also have created a Word file of the French focus and translated it via Deepl with its "attached files option", and then attached both Pdf and Word of translated files. You also can follow the link above.

Here is the Lexilogos translation:

The fire of Notre-Dame has aroused and still raises many questions, and after taking stock of this national drama in an article where we discussed the various ways that explain - or not - how this event could have happened so accidental, we will look today at a number of information available on the Net since the end of 2015 and try to understand who will take advantage of this fire to advance pawns that seem already ready to enter the game of chessboard .

Île de la Cité vue du ciel
© AFP / Jean-Sebastien Evrard
Will this photo of the Ile de la Cité soon be a memory, a part of a past that should give way to a "modern" project?


Emmanuel Macron, the Olympics and the World Expo

The following may also answer the question of why Emmanuel Macron Le Mal-Aimé , has kept repeating since the fire of Notre-Dame that " we will rebuild all together " "by five years ":
"Come on the spot to see the extent of the damage, while the flames were not yet extinguished, Emmanuel Macron briefly spoke. " This cathedral we will rebuild all together, " said the President of the Republic, declaring to have "a thought" for both "Catholics", "Parisian and Paris", and all of his "compatriots" ". The head of state announced that a " national subscription " would be launched from Tuesday, April 16 to help rebuild the monument. "
And to add the day after the fire of Notre-Dame that he wanted the latter to be rebuilt "even more beautiful" of "here five years".

But why in five years? We have heard here and there in the media that other historic buildings elsewhere in Europe in recent decades - or burned to be rebuilt in five years - Windsor Castle in England, or even less like the palace of La Fenice in Venice in Italy ( in French The Phoenix ).

However, in five years we will be in 2024 and Paris will host the Olympic Games ... and should have hosted the World Expo the following year , but Prime Minister Philippe Philippe withdrew the candidacy of France while President Emmanuel Macron the ex-banker had agreed.

For Gilles Dufeigneux, former delegate general in charge of financing the French bid, Matignon's decision is "unjustified". Explanations according to Le Figaro :
"A project that was competing for competition: the Olympic Games of 2024 in Paris .Former general delegate of ExpoFrance 2025 responsible for the preparation of the application and its financing, Gilles Dufeigneux considers that the arguments invoked by Édouard Philippe are "unjustified" and "incomprehensible" . And to recall that the President of the Republic, himself, had approved and signed the candidature file. "
Or about the financing of the World Expo :
"The argument of the reluctance of private actors to engage is inappropriate for a project whose application is only financially supported by large corporate sponsors. This application, with a budget of 30 million euros, is entirely financed by private funds, without public subsidies . "
Expo universel Paris 1900
© Unknown
The Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1900

Later in the same article , which predates the movement of yellow vests, the subject of the neglected territories in France - subject largely put forward since the beginning of the movement, by the yellow vests themselves and in particular by a whole group of mayors of the different French territories - is, as part of this exhibition, summarized as follows:
" The World Expo should not be held only in Paris, but also in the territories.

The application is particularly successful. It is original and innovative, qualities that our country needs so much in many ways. It is that of a whole country, not only of the capital city where all the decisions are made and unmade, but also of fifteen metropolises, departments, regions where thematic forums highlighting all the wealth and diversity of our territory had to stand. Give up in a few days a strategic airport infrastructure for the west of France and refuse, in these territories, who aspire to development, outreach and responsibility, the chance to participate in a great adventure of collective promotion of our country are at the beginning of the year very bad news.

[...]

It was in 1900 that France last organized the World Expo. The country was then much less developed in terms of infrastructure and had only 40 million inhabitants. That did not stop to welcome 42 million visitors, for the greater glory of our arts, our culture and our industries. "
Expo universelle Paris 1900
© Unknown
Aerial view of the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1900

It seems that a Universal Exhibition on all French territories would have been much more rewarding and hopeful for all . We do not think (at all) that the Olympic Games will be or will be profitable or at least approximately balanced between their cost and their repayment by the financial revenues it generates and that do not go into the coffers of the State, but in those of private companies participating in the Olympics and which is mostly exempt from taxes ). The previous Olympics elsewhere in the world have been rather catastrophic from a profitability point of view. So, must hope be removed from French hearts? Or should we even destroy what we have most sacred to impose the new post-imperialist order erected to the glory of the worshipers of Mammon? A new world in which to ask legitimate questions is now a crime ?

The mission of Dominique Perrault and Philippe Bélaval

To return to the heart of this article , it is by conducting research to try to explain - at least in part - how the fire of Notre-Dame could have occurred, that we - literally - came across information relating to projects of real estate restructuring of the entire Ile de la Cité on which stands (although a little less high today since it lost its arrow) Notre-Dame de Paris, an island whose perimeter is the most central of the spiral formed by the arrondissements of Paris, a perimeter which is classified as a Unesco Historic Monument.

It all started in December 2015 when Dominique Perrault , a French architect whose work went beyond France to "shine" around the world, was entrusted by François Hollande with the mission of an "extraordinary" project. This French architect and urban planner to whom we owe the architecture of the National Library of France François Mitterand after winning the competition in 1989, sees his work exhibited in the largest museums in the world.


BNF Paris
© Unknown
The National Library of France, site "François Mitterand"

Dominique Perrault's presidential mission was conducted in conjunction with Philippe Bélaval, president of the Center des monuments nationaux, and obtained the agreement of Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris (as it should be). this mission had to "anticipate and guide" what could become of the Île de la Cité once it was rid of the activities of these institutions that are the Prefecture of Police and the Court of Paris . What is done today:

For the Préfecture of police, this article of the Parisian dated September 20, 2017 , writes that "the judicial police say goodbye to 36, quai des Orfèvres."
"The headquarters of the Paris Police Prefecture, on Ile de la Cité (IV) for a century, moved to the Batignolles, Porte de Clichy (17th), in the" Bastion ", the ultramodern building of the future court, overlooking the ring road

An empty building with two officials on duty like souls in pain, a page of history that turns, nostalgia and some festive farewell parties (see box) ... The 36, Quai des Orfèvres lives its last hours. This Wednesday, in this mythical building that was once a hive, punctuated by large criminal cases in the hands of the finest of the judicial police (PJ), he reigned a surprising calm. "
And for the Court of Paris, this article of the World dated April 16, 2018 , tells us that " The first hearings were held Monday in the new court, which left the Ile de la Cité for the north-east of the capital city."
"After several centuries on the Ile de la Cité, the Paris court has left its historic setting where Marie Antoinette, Émile Zola and Philippe Pétain have been judged. While the move began in early March, the new courthouse, a large modern building in the Batignolles district, northwest of the capital, hosted its first hearing Monday, April 16. "

Hôpital de l'Hôtel-Dieu
© François Marin
The hospital of the Hôtel-Dieu

It was also a question of "emptying" the hospital of the Hôtel-Dieu, but this one is the subject of renovations which will among other things transform it into a center of medical research, work which will end normally at the end of the 2020, which will cost a whopping EUR 100 million.
In a statement issued a few days ago , the AP-HP indicates that "the Hotel-Dieu is currently accelerating its transformation with a medical project and innovative research and enhanced cooperation with the hospital Cochin (Paris)." As of today, it proposes medical care, urgent or not, in a wide disciplinary field: emergencies, within a bi-site complementary to that of the hospital Cochin (14th), plateau consultations, with or without appointments, day hospitals, psychiatry, imaging (MRI and scanner) modern and efficient.

Source as of July 18, 2016
This presidential mission under the Dutch era was the subject of a report of 56 pages which was presented to the Head of State and the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, in the presence of Dominique Perrault (right of the Mayor of Paris) and Philippe Bélaval (left of François Hollande) on December 16, 2016:
The overall redevelopment project of Île de la Cité

Here is a video presentation of the project, video entitled " Mission Island City, The heart of the heart - South Walk ":

There is no doubt that Emmanuel Macron took up the torch of his predecessor Hollande to complete this project within the five-year time frame for the opening of the Olympic Games.

The space freed by the relocation of certain institutions such as the Prefecture of Police and the Court of Paris has released about 100,000 m2 of space ... which, according to the architect Perrault and Philippe Belaval , will represent " a real estate value superior to EUR 1 billion without radical transformation [and] without the addition of new buildings or buildings in height. "

A bargain for real estate at the price of m2 in the 4th arrondissement of Paris: € 14,344 on average with a low range of € 12,923 and a high range of € 15,625. There is no doubt that these prices will skyrocket(no pun intended) when the "restructuring" of the Île de la Cité will be completed ...

As for the evaluation of the costs, the daily newspaper Le Monde mentions the answers of Philippe Bélaval who would have declared according to this Web site :
"For the moment, the two owners - Ile de la Cité - (the City of Paris and the State, about 50% each) are in favor. But none of them has the necessary financial resources for the project, "said Bélaval:" Hundreds of millions of euros, even billions , this has not been quantified ... "
That is also settled with the hundreds of millions of euros which are already acquired by the multiple donations in particular of some of the largest French companies (which should see at the end of the implementation of the project their investments largely paid), all those euros that fall from the sky as illustrated by the following picture:

Notre-Dame de Paris, feu, canadaire, financements


Donors are however not the preserve of the great French fortunes and the Notre-Dame Foundation linked to the diocese of Paris announces on April 24th :
"32,000 donations from the general public, through our websites, online prize pools, checks (one-third of envelopes have already been opened), in France and the United States via the website of our American Friends Foundation of Notre-Dame de Paris, young but dynamic (7,000 American donations). These numbers move every day obviously, because the mobilization remains strong, even past this first week, including during the Easter weekend. The wave of support has been truly global. This represents 4.6 million euros, including 0.6 from across the Atlantic. All in all, important promises from individuals and companies generate a fundraising of at least 213 million euros . "
You can consult the exhaustive list of the list of private and public donors and updated regularly by Wikipedia.

Here are the " main gifts ":
  • Bettencourt & L'Oréal family: 200 million euros
  • Arnault family & LVMH: 200 million euros
  • Pinault & Artémis family: 100 million euros
  • Total: 100 million euros
  • JCDecaux: 20 million euros
  • BNP Paribas: 20 million euros
  • Axa France: 20 million euros
  • Bouygues: 10 million euros
  • Fimalac: 10 million euros
  • Sanofi: 10 million euros
  • Groupe BPCE: 10 million euros
  • General company: 10 million euros
  • Crédit Agricole Foundation: 5 million euros
  • The Walt Disney Company: € 4.42 million
  • French games: 2 million euros
  • Capgemini: 1 million euros
  • Michelin: 1 million euros
The total to date exceeds one billion euros and it is unlikely that the cost of the renovation of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris alone requires such a sum, which suggests that this is good money for the implementation of the project of global redevelopment of the Ile de la Cité, since as we saw above, the State and the City of Paris who own 50% each do not have the financial means to carry out the development work presented by Dominique Perrault and Philippe Bélaval in 2016.

Here is more in detail what we know about the "extraordinary" project presented by Dominique Perrault (also on his architecture site ) and Philippe Bélaval:

Projet Ile de la Cité Perrault et Belaval
© perraultarchitecture.com
The redevelopment project of Ile de la Cité

Hereafter are the details for an even more "extraordinary" view:

- A monumental slab of transparent glass would cover the forecourt of Notre-Dame which would reflect and under which the archaeological crypt would become visible with a low place that would give direct access to the river:

Parvis de verre sur l'esplanade Notre Dame, Crédits perraultarchitecture.com
© perraultarchitecture.com
Glass forecourt on Notre Dame esplanade

- The reunification of the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie in a single visit;

- The transformation of the Rue de Lutèce into a large pedestrian promenade that would link the Law Courts to the Hôtel-Dieu. A place devised by the director of national monuments Philippe Bélaval, "like St. Mark's Square in Venice ":

Projet Ile de la Cité Perrault et Belaval
© perraultarchitecture.com
The "new Place of Lutece"

- Along the Seine, on the Quai Sud, a landing stage and floating platforms would host restaurants, cafes, a swimming pool (hopefully Olympic, sports facilities being so few in the heart of Paris), and concert halls:

Projet Il de la Cité Perrault
© perraultarchitecture.com
The new layout of the docks

- Along the Seine, a long vegetated walk (with or without cars, the subject already debating) would connect the two points East and West of the island:

Projet Ile de la Cité Perrault et Belaval
© perraultarchitecture.com
The long vegetated promenade on the left bank of Île de la Cité

- Two new bridges would cross the river:

Projet Ile de la Cité Perrault et Belaval
© perraultarchitecture.com
One of the two gateways

- Quantity of passages (including underground with natural light), atriums in the basement;

- Large covered courses.

Projet Ile de la Cité Perrault et Belaval
© perraultarchitecture.com
Global aerial view of the project

This project was the subject of an exhibition presenting the project in more detail, with maps, videos, models and educational panels of very large backlit format, at the Conciergerie from February 15 to April 17, 2017. We could also ask why only one architect was offered this mission ...

Expo Projet Ile de la Cité Perrault
© The Conciergerie

Some experts have argued that five years would be too short a time for the restoration of the cathedral ... It may be relevant to think so, especially if one is not aware at that time of a pre-project. established and the financial windfall that followed, two elements that could well justify the delay can be "shortened" to five years ...

To go further :

- The 4-page Pdf containing two visuals that are not included above;

- The Pdf of the press release also containing several photos;

- The 56-page Pdf of the report entitled "Mission Island City - The Heart of the Heart" by Philippe Bélaval and Dominique Perrault in which we read that:
"The Ile de la Cité is the most conducive territory for the deployment of a great urban, cultural, architectural and economic ambition, which contributes to the influence of France."
At the end of the report, the list of interviews conducted for the preparation of the report shows names, which, if they seem logical at this stage, can leave a strange feeling ...

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A last minute information (April 25, 2019) informs us that Emmanuel Macron wishes to "use the ordinances to rebuild Notre-Dame in 5 years" :
"In the press, we are informed that the text plans to allow the government to legislate by order to ease the constraints of future reconstruction work. Thus, the works might not be subject to the public procurement code , there would also be less constraint to environmental standards, it could for example not have an impact study work on the environment.

And that's not all. Notre Dame could be exempted from the strict rules governing work on historic monuments. According to Europe 1 , there would be " more flexibility, with fewer procedures, authorizations and passages in committee ". "This means that there would be no chief architect of historical monuments, usually in this kind of project," says Europe 1. "
Well, if everything is ready ... it only lacks the official presidential boost so that the project is no longer one and he really sees the day.
We may have concrete answers shortly, and we will follow the case closely ...

L'île de la Cité, vue du Pont des Arts, peu avant le lever du soleil, Paris, France.
© Daniel Vorndran / DXR
Ile de la Cité, seen from Pont des Arts, shortly before sunrise, Paris, France.
 

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