Gardens and square around Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris to get a green makeover

A Belgian company has been selected to redesign the forecourt and gardens around Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. Among the possible changes is an increase in foliage of over 30 percent and the creation of a new underground reception area opening out to the Seine river.

The redesigned forecourt of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, as imagined by Belgian landscape architect Bas Smets, will include more vegetation. His project was selected by the Paris Town Hall on 28 June 2022. © Studio Alma / Bas Smets

Out of four finalists,project by Belgian architect Bas Smets was chosen to oversee the  the  €50 million makeover.

The work will be ²completed by 2027.

Paris' mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has placed an emphasis on increasing green spaces in the centre of the city, said more than 100 new trees will be planted around the iconic Notre-Dame cathedral, providing relief for tourists during hot weather.

There will also be a 5m horizontal fountain that will run down the forecourt on hot days, which Smets says will reduce the surface temperature by up to  10 degrees Celsius.

It will use rainwater, captured and stored underground.

Working in conjunction with the Grau landscaping firm and Neufville-Gayet architects, Smets said the forecourt of the gothic structure will look like “a clearing” in a small forest. 

Behind the cathedral, the section currently divided up by hedges and gates will become a long open garden, allowing a clear view of the stained-glass windows and the buttresses.

The gardens to the south of the Notre-Dame cathedral will be opened up to form a park measuring 400 metres in length. Design by Bas Smets © Studio Alma / Groupement BBS

Partial reopening in 2024

Under the forecourt, the parking lot will be transformed into a spacious reception area with a walkway allowing visitors to access the archaeological crypt and the Seine river.

The other side of the cathedral will be flanked by a pedestrian street, with benches and trees.

The first part of the outdoor works are expected to be finalised in time for the reopening of the cathedral in 2024, while the rest of the modifications will be finalised in 2027.

• Paris in race to meet Olympics deadline three years after Notre-Dame blaze

 On 15 April, 2019, much of the roof and spire of the cathedral were damaged during a fire and extensive works have been underway since then to bring the edifice back to its former glory.

Although restoration will continue for some years to come, church services are expected the resume in time of the anniversary of the fire in April 2024.

Bas Smets' team was also behind the Parc des Ateliers autour de la tour Luma in Arles in southern France and has been chosen to redesign the Brussels city centre.

The projects of all four finalists for the Notre-Dame gardens and forecourt are on display until 28 August, at the Pavillon de l’Arsenal architectural museum.

The new Notre-Dame Paris garden was designed by Bas Smets and will be finished in 2027. The back of the church will feature a larger grass area with trees along the edge of the Seine river. © Studio Alma / Groupement BBS