Philippe Villeneuve

First secure the seats, then supervise the reconstruction with a team of architects.

The entire world was watching us.

All were anxious to see the cathedral restored.

We could not fail in the project of the century.

Le chantier du siècle.

There was a spirit in the air,

L'esprit Notre-Dame.

It was a unique mix of focus and joy, companionship and sharing.

We were all working to save the cathedral, and we were proud to be part of this fantastic journey.

I gained admiration and respect from these specialized tradespeople.

This created a bond that united all.

2,000 people were basing themselves on this seat.

We had to invent, design and implement ways to stabilize the building.

Master carpenters, glassworkers, scaffolders, masons and rope access technicians worked together well.

The garbels, pillars and hide bay had to be shot up quickly.

We had to prep up the 28 flying buttresses and cover the vaults with tarps.

We had to put nets in the nave, and the hide vaults had to be shot up, too.

We had to shot through the rubble.

A cathedral made of steel was built inside the stone cathedral.

The building was drawn with scaffolding.