Notre Dame Cathedral will be open to visitors in late 2024 – five years after a fire destroyed its iconic spire and roof.
Reconstruction of the cultural monument began in April 2019. Due to the lockdown, archaeological finds under the foundation of the church and a controversial modernization plan, the renovation work was suspended and resumed only last year.
The reconstruction project is estimated at $865 million.
“The supervision of the restoration has been entrusted to the architect Philippe Villeneuve,” the Paris tourist office said in a statement, adding that “the general principle is to restore the cathedral identically, including the spire.”
The new interior may include works of art from the 20th and 21st centuries, which will be presented alongside works by old masters from the cathedral’s collection. They are also planning to redesign the temple itself to increase the space for visitors.