Lessons from the rebuilding of Notre-Dame

The story of the rebuilding of the Parisian landmark Notre-Dame after it was ravaged by fire in 2019 provides lessons In collaboration, determination and using 21st-century tech to keep ancient heritage alive. After all, French President Emmanuel Macron declared it the “building project of the century”, and the reopening of the 862-year-old cathedral in December no doubt brought a smile to the faces of many project professionals around the world.

“It’s inspiring to see global solidarity for such a meaningful project. It stands out as a masterclass in project management excellence,” says Professor Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, APM’s Vice President, who attributes the success of the project to a few key elements: a strong purpose, precise stakeholder alignment and the seamless integration of ancient craftsmanship with advanced technologies.

In comparison to other historic restoration projects, such as the decades-long rebuilding of Dresden’s Frauenkirche or the still-ongoing restoration of Venice’s San Marco Basilica, Notre-Dame’s completion is a groundbreaking achievement, he believes.

“It is a reminder that great projects are about more than just deliverables – they’re about uniting people under a shared vision, honouring the past and leveraging the best tools of the present to build something enduring. It’s this blend of purpose and structure that makes it so remarkable,” Nieto-Rodriguez explains. “Notre-Dame teaches us that we can create something truly transformative when purpose, planning and innovation align.”

It might have been a once-in-a-generation project, but here are four inspirational lessons in success that other projects could adapt:

1. Create a clear outcome and way forward

Everyone fell behind a common vision (whether enthusiastically or reluctantly) for what the rebuilt cathedral would look like, but it was a commitment to open discussion around possible designs, a shared purpose and a clear deadline that galvanised everyone and created a determination and momentum to make the project a success.

2. Pace and resilience matters

A ‘Notre-Dame state of mind’ was epitomised by General Jean-Louis Georgelin, France’s former Chief of Defence Staff, who was tasked with leading the body responsible for delivering the project, Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris. A man whose mantra was “move forward without procrastinating”, he created a military-style chain of command and referred to the project as the “battle for France”. Under him, the rebuilding “became a formidable machine”, wrote Agnès Poirier, author of NotreDame: The Soul of France. “We understand what Notre-Dame represents for us all and there is no reason why we should fail in our mission.”

3. Establish unified and collaborative stakeholder management

Project management commentator Ricardo Vargas, in his 5 Minutes podcast, called the reopening of the cathedral within five years “an incredible, unified stakeholder management innovation, finding innovative ways of solving problems and setting such an aggressive timeline”.

Nieto-Rodriguez agrees: “Collaborative expertise is critical – projects benefit immensely when professionals from diverse disciplines come together.”

The project united a broad spectrum of stakeholders: the French government, local residents, the Catholic Church, UNESCO, international donors and millions of tourists. Transparent and frequent communication through social media, news outlets and public forums kept these groups engaged and supportive.

“The power of storytelling and stakeholder engagement cannot be underestimated. The transparency and public involvement in the Notre-Dame restoration fostered goodwill and global support, which were key to its success,” says Nieto-Rodriguez.

4. Encourage adaptability

The unexpected death in a hiking accident of project leader Georgelin in 2023 shook everyone involved in the rebuilding of Notre-Dame. He was immediately replaced by his deputy, Philippe Jost.

“This was a major emotional and operational setback. One of the biggest challenges a project can face is to lose the leadership. So the team was very resilient and adaptable,” said Vargas on his podcast. The project faced other significant challenges, all of which were met with remarkable solutions, says Nieto-Rodriguez.

“One crucial challenge was structural instability after the fire, which threatened the cathedral’s integrity. This was addressed using advanced scanning technologies to stabilise and reinforce the building before restoration began,” he explains. It took two years to stabilise the structure to prevent the full collapse of the building, and the process also involved the removal of 40,000 pieces of calcified scaffolding.