Styrian architect:

“The symbolic value of these buildings is extremely high”

Notre Dame is new: the monument was officially opened in Paris at the weekend. Dietmar Feichtinger moved from Styria to Paris in the 1980s.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Imre Antal/Christian Jungwirth)

Styrian-born Dietmar Feichtinger is now a star architect in Paris. After the opening of Notre Dame, he gives an insight into how the cathedral is received by the French.

Dietmar Feichtinger is allowed to get very close to the monuments and landmarks of the French: he designed the bridge to Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy and a glass wall around the Eiffel Tower. Born in Bruck an der Mur in 1961, the Styrian was drawn to the French capital Paris after studying at the Graz University of Technology. At the weekend, Notre Dame Cathedral - one of the most visited monuments in Europe - was reopened there five and a half years after the devastating fire.

"I'm divided," says Feichtinger about the historic event. "I'm impressed by what the French have managed to pull off." The fact that the five years of renovation work were completed as promised by President Emmanuel Macron is not all positive for Feichtinger, however. "The haste is incomprehensible to me. I can't judge it in detail, but perhaps it would have been better if more time had been taken," says Feichtinger.

When Notre Dame burned in 2019, many people were extremely emotional. It was impressive to see the effect such a building can have on people.

Star-Architekt Dietmar Feichtinger

One example: the oak trunks that were used to build the mighty roof truss were artificially dried. If they had been left to dry, it would have taken longer, but it would have been more ecological and less damaging.

Politics before the craftsmen's work?
Feichtinger would also like to see more recognition for the 2,000 workers and craftsmen who were involved. "Emmanuel Macron has politicized the whole thing a lot. That doesn't just trigger positive reactions among the French."

Overall, the French are proud and were shaken by the fire, says Feichtinger. "But what makes it special, as with the Eiffel Tower, is its international appeal. The symbolic value of these buildings is extremely high." It is no coincidence that up to 40,000 visitors a day are expected in the renovated cathedral.