Notre-Dame: the contemporary stained glass project approved by the National Heritage Commission

A project planned for the end of 2026. The National Commission for Heritage and Architecture (CNPA), until now opposed to the contemporary stained glass project for Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris , has finally given the green light to this project, we learned on Friday from the Ministry of Culture.

Following a meeting on Thursday, the CNPA, whose opinion remains advisory, also "unanimously expressed the wish that the stained-glass windows by the architect Viollet-le-Duc (which are to be replaced by contemporary stained-glass windows in six chapels, editor's note), be restored as soon as they are removed and exhibited in a dedicated location," the ministry added.

Requested by the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron and the Archbishop of Paris Mgr Laurent Ulrich , who want to leave a contemporary trace in the building devastated by a fire in 2019 and completely restored, these new stained-glass windows must replace by the end of 2026 six of the seven bays of the south aisle (Seine side) by the 19th century architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.

Following a competition in which 110 artist duos associated with master glassmakers applied, the project by Frenchwoman Claire Tabouret , associated with the Reims glassmaker Simon-Marq, was selected.

Colorful and a "symbol of unity," according to the artist, this project follows a precise set of specifications: "a figurative program relating to Pentecost" in "adequacy" with the stained-glass window representing the Tree of Jesse (1864), which will remain in place. This theme, common in Christian art, represents a schematization of the genealogy of Christ.

Following the award of the contract by the public institution responsible for rebuilding Notre-Dame, six months of study are planned and approximately a year and a half of implementation, according to the Élysée Palace and the diocese. The budget for the project is €4 million, allocated by the Ministry of Culture.

A number of heritage activists behind a petition oppose the project , arguing in particular that the old stained-glass windows were not damaged by the fire. They rely on the Venice International Charter, which in principle prohibits the replacement of existing works with new ones, but which is not binding.

Regarding a future "museum of the work of Notre-Dame" in the neighboring premises of the Hôtel-Dieu, on the Île de la Cité, announced by Mr. Macron at the end of 2023, the minister indicated that she had made "innovative proposals in this regard to the President of the Republic, so that the project would be largely self-financed and lead to a completely renovated project for the Hôtel-Dieu," in an interview with Le Figaro published Wednesday.