Mary@MaryBrush.com     restorechic@mac.com     www.marybrush.com

  October 20, 2005      

The past two weeks were an experience in the administrative side of preservation in France.  The complex heirarchy of France’s centralized government is impressive.  Each of the departments in France has a representative of the minister of Culture who is the D.R.A.C - Departement Regional des Arts et Culture.  This covers the State’s interests in everything from historic monuments to arts festivals.  I spent 2 weeks in the Paris office for the Ile De France region with the building preservation team.  This includes conservateurs, architects, engineers, and technicians.  Each member of the DRAC team represents the state, who is the client, in the restoration of historic monuments that are property of the state. 

The week included numerous planning meetings on the finances for projects within the region, site visits, and numerous discussions on the decion processes within the heirarchy of ‘patrimoine.’

The DRAC representative works with the architect en chef to ensure that the preservation standards are met for each building.  They obtain a familiarity with each project in order do process the financial elements of the project, and to understand the complexity of each project. The design and details and project management remain in the domain of the Architect-en-Chef - also a representative of the Ministry of Culture

The site visits included La Bascilique St Denis, which is a noteworthy gothic stucture as well as the final resting place of French Royalty.  The work scope involves stone replacement, cleaning, and roof repair.

St Eustache is a large church near the Les Halles area of Paris.  This church is receiving the exterior repairs.

Notre Dame de Paris is known for its history, rose windows, early restoration by Viollet le Duc, and its gargoyles - as well as countless other moments it its history.  We were there at the time of an installation of a new sculture to replace one that was either too deteriorated or missing.  This sculpture represents the creativity and craftsmanship of a stone carver who has now contributed personally to one of the most famous world cathedrals.  It was a pleasure to witness the moment.  This sculpture is hidden away in a dark corner that perhaps only the lucky people in the apartments across the way will be able to see. 

 To continue the tour of great cathedrals in Paris, I also had the opportunity to visit the restoration site of St. Sulpice.  This was an opportunity to see and appreciae the lead roofs of the domes.  THis roof system is not allowed in the United States due to the very worthwhile protections of the health for the roofers installing the material and the hazards of extended contact with lead.  However, with the proper precautions, it is still possible to have a lead roof on the historic monuments in France.  It is a beautiful roof material - and due to its flexibility it is perfect for the complex geometries of domes. 

I did visit numerous buildings that were not the great cathedrals to religion.  One was a monument to the people - La Maison des Peuples.  This all metal  - steel - structure was built in the 1910s as an assembly hall for the community.  THe roof originally retracted, and the mechaninsm to do that encompased the room, giving the whole building a feeling of being a machine.  The metal is corroded and the machine no longer moves, so the restoration has been designed and is anticipated to start soon. 

France celebrates its culture and art so well.  A special night festival is the Nuit Blanche - Cultural buildings are open into the wee hours or perhaps all night.  I took the opportunity to view the Coronelli Globes in the Grand Palais - at midnight.