INTERVIEW
Laurent Prades is one of the first to enter the cathedral on Monday night, when the fire had already been right for the roof, the 13th century frame, and the majestic spire. Patron of the patrimony of Notre-Dame of Paris, its mission was to leave, according to a plan of urgency established a year ago, the major works and the relics which sheltered the secular building. At the microphone of Nikos Aliagas, Wednesday morning on Europe 1, it tells this Monday night when everything has rocked.
Where were you when the alert was given?
I was not there when the fire started, I was already gone for about twenty minutes. One of my collaborators who was there told me about an evacuation announcement. I told myself right away that it was serious because I know the procedure. If in the five minutes following the alert, we have not been able to remove the doubt, we reach an important stage.
I had a little trouble coming back because the streets of Paris were clogged. I took a bike behind the Musée d'Orsay, and there I already received ashes on the head. I then told myself that it had to be quite important ... And indeed, arriving at Notre-Dame, there was this huge plume of smoke that covered all of Paris, towards the West and La Défense.
How did you react when you entered the cathedral on fire?
We were able to get inside with the fire department. It was important that we go there because there were absolutely major elements inside the cathedral. It was planned that we would save them in the event of such a disaster, which we hoped of course never have to do.
We were equipped with fire helmets, they guided us in the smoke. There were incandescent pieces of wood falling everywhere, vaults of the choir, the nave ... It was very impressive. When we rediscover the cathedral in this state, we have a big ball in the stomach. See the nave littered with burnt beams, see the vaults pierced, see the sky from the floor of the nave ...
The first emotion, of course, is sadness, and perhaps some form of anxiety, but the action and the urgency are that extremely quickly, we pull ourselves together and we start to work. After the fright, it is the coolness that comes back.
Were you prepared for such a drama?
The Ministry of Culture asked us a little over a year ago to put in place an emergency plan for the rescue of works. We worked on it in an extremely conscious and meticulous way. We put this plan on paper very precisely, thinking that it would never happen. It's totally implausible.
The rescue plan for the works included the rescue of a dozen major works. That's exactly what was done. Thanks to the firefighters' work, other works were saved inside the cathedral as long as it was accessible.
Have any major works been lost in the fire?
We have not lost any major works. The only work that could be described as major that we lost is the altar that was at the crossroads of the transepts, since a large part of the frame and the arrow collapsed on it. It was a huge bronze cube that Cardinal Lustiger set up in 1989. He was crushed by the pressure.
But there were many miracles during this fire. One of them is that the three rose windows have not been touched. We do not see holes in the windows. It will now be necessary to push the expertise. It is possible that weights have suffered. I also climbed into the organ Tuesday morning, during the very first visit we made with the firefighters to spot the damage. He was absolutely not touched. It is filled with soot, and it will fully remove the 8,000 pipes, and clean everything. But he was not burned or wet.
The stalls are saved, although they are soaked with water. The fence of the 14th century choir is saved. The statues of Pieta too. All the great paintings of Notre-Dame de Paris are saved and have not received water, although they have been in a humid atmosphere.
Do you think that the cathedral can be restored in five years, as announced Emmanuel Macron?
It is a challenge and a great intention. In France, we have all the know-how. This surge of generosity is wonderful, exceptional and very moving. All the architects' work in the coming weeks will determine the magnitude of the task.