The spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral, destroyed in a 2019 fire, will be restored in time for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Philippe Jost, leader of the public institution managing the reconstruction, announced the news. The spire, originally designed by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, collapsed in the fire along with other cathedral parts. The imagery of the fire prompted global support.

The spire, adorned with its cross and rooster, reappeared for Christmas but remains surrounded by scaffolding. Jost emphasized its symbolic significance for the fire’s healing. He also confirmed plans to start removing the scaffolding in the spring, ensuring the spire’s visibility during the Olympic Games.

This step will enable closing the vault of the transept crossing and clearing space for a rebuilt altar support platform. Reconstruction work will continue during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with public access to the cathedral’s portals and main adjacent street guaranteed, in coordination with the Paris Police Prefecture.

Simultaneously, ongoing judicial investigations into the fire’s cause are leaning towards the accidental hypothesis after a preliminary inquiry.