TED Talks Daily
The inside story of Notre-Dame’s incredible reconstruction | Philippe Villeneuve
07 Jul 2025
In a moment that stunned the world in 2019, the famed Notre-Dame in Paris went up in flames, threatening the future of the centuries-old Gothic treasure. Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect of the cathedral’s restoration, recounts the collective effort to bring the building back to life while honoring its history. Listen for a story of craftsmanship, devotion and innovation — and learn how more than 2,000 hands worked to return this landmark to the world.For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyouTEDSports: ted.com/sportsTEDAI Vienna: ted.com/ai-viennaTEDAI San Francisco: ted.com/ai-sf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Full Episode
You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. In a moment that stunned the world in 2019, the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris went up in flames. In this talk, Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect of Notre Dame's reconstruction, says that reviving the historic cathedral has been more than a rebuild.
It's a blueprint for future restoration efforts. Drawing on time-honored techniques, Philippe shares how a team of craftspeople and experts came together to bring new life to this Gothic masterpiece and what it took to help Notre Dame be reborn from the ashes.
Come with me. Back in time. Today is April 15, 2019. That was six years ago. We are a few days before Easter. On a late spring afternoon, we are in Paris, on the Ile de la Cité. Notre-Dame Cathedral has been there for over eight centuries. The day is winding down, and people are heading home from work. Nobody notices the smoke arising from the spire of the cathedral.
The time is around 6 and 13 p.m. Now the smoke has become more noticeable, and people look up in disbelief. They watch the flames burning through the melting lead roof, Night is falling, and the flames illuminate the cathedral. Now the huge plume of smoke fills the streets. There is an acrid smell in the air. Some people start praying, others start chanting.
Firefighters are now fighting a relentless battle. And then, the spire collapses into an inferno. with a terrible crash. President Macron rushed on the seat. He changed his agenda for this momentous event. Notre Dame was more important than politics. Not knowing the full extent of the damage, President Macron decided that the cathedral would be rebuilt in five years.
Donations came from all sides, ranging from small to huge amounts. They reached the incredible total of 846 million euros. Why so much generosity? Well, ever since Victor Hugo published his novel Notre-Dame de Paris in 1831, the cathedral has moved the entire world. That was almost 200 years ago. Then the cathedral went from print to screen to stage.
The silent film Esmeralda came out in 1905, followed by many more famous films. Disney made a cartoon character, Quasimodo. Musicals were made about Notre Dame. Today, Notre Dame appears in many games and shows. People in every country are touched by Notre Dame. Incredibly, we may never have known Notre Dame. Since it was built in 1163, it has been the cathedral of records.
It has the highest vaults ever built, gigantic rows of windows, and a huge flying buttress. When completed, it was the tallest building in the Christian world. But after being a showcase of human genius, Notre Dame fell out of favor. It fell out of fashion, cost too much, was vandalized by the French Revolution and became the temple of reason.
Napoleon was crowned emperor there in 1804, but the building was in very bad shape. Then the cathedral was considered for demolition. This is when Victor Hugo published his novel Notre-Dame de Paris, It put the cathedral at the heart of France. It put its architecture at the heart of its culture. So it was decided that the building would be restored.
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