Rebuilding Notre-Dame

Autodesk is proud to support the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral.

Image courtesy of The Public Establishment dedicated to the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and Art Graphique & Patrimoine

Image courtesy of Art Graphique & Patrimoine

A story of resilience and rebirth

On April 15, 2019, a wave of emotion swept the world as flames engulfed the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. But with this tragedy, came the promise to rebuild.

Images of the fire sparked an outpouring of global support and Autodesk knew right away we would join in, starting with a cash donation. Thanks to the initiative of our CEO Andrew Anagnost, we also offered our expertise in 3D digital modeling.

A core group of Autodesk employees was quickly formed to support the French public institution Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris throughout the restoration. Autodesk also partnered with Art Graphique & Patrimoine (AGP), a leading French company in laser scanning and digitization of historic monuments.

Out of this partnership, a highly detailed digital model of Notre-Dame was created by combining existing scans with new laser surveys. This BIM model, along with Autodesk software, was provided free of charge to the public institution Rebâtir Notre-Dame and made available to construction site stakeholders via a technology and skills patronage agreement.

Four years after the fire, construction efforts are now in full swing. Hundreds of artisans and construction professionals are working with an ambition to reopen in late 2024.

Digital modeling plays a key role in restoring Notre-Dame Cathedral

State-of-the-art modeling software from Autodesk has helped the restoration team understand the damage and guide the rebuilding process.

Image courtesy of The Public Establishment dedicated to the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and Art Graphique & Patrimoine

The power of BIM for heritage preservation

Because of the complexity, structural details, and sheer size of Notre-Dame, it took Autodesk and AGP over a year to create a full-scale digital model. The model was fully designed using Autodesk technologies, requiring 12 laser scanners and a team of 7 engineers to scan the building and collect 46,000 images. It's truly an unrivaled example of historical modeling using Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology.

Autodesk's commitment to Notre-Dame de Paris

Today’s technology breathes new life to a beloved landmark

Hear from Autodesk's Nicolas Mangon on his personal connection to Notre-Dame and how Autodesk's technical expertise will help restore Notre-Dame thanks to unrivaled historical modeling using BIM technology.

Discover the story

Heritage preservation moving forward with BIM

Discover how Art Graphique & Patrimoine, a leading company in laser scanning and digitization of historic monuments, used Autodesk BIM technology to create a 3D digital model of Notre-Dame, transforming how heritage preservation is approached in the future.

Get the insider details

Official patronage agreement

Autodesk signed a patronage agreement with the French Public Establishment dedicated to the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral to provide BIM support and create a digital record of this heritage monument.

Read the full article

"We are humbled to participate in the restoration and future preservation of the Notre-Dame Cathedral, a truly magnificent architectural wonder of the world."

— Nicolas Mangon, VP of AEC Strategy and Marketing, Autodesk

Our proud collaboration with the French Public Establishment

The ongoing restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris is a testament to the extensive dedication and pride of the public institution Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, showcasing the incredibly intricate work involved with reviving this iconic monument.

3D scan of the San Francesco altar in Volterra, Italy

Heritage preservation: A digital gift for the future

The restoration of Notre-Dame is one of several preservation projects supported by Autodesk. Learn about our digitalization work with the Apollo 11 capsule, the 3,000-year-old medieval city of Volterra, and the USS Arizona site in Pearl Harbor.

The platform to make anything

Autodesk's Design and Make Platform offers three industry-specific clouds for managing your assets and workflows, creating a new era of working with cloud-connected data and collaboration.