NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL SAIGON RENOVATION
Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon Renovation. Renovations on Saigon's famed Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica will extend until 2027, rather than 2023 as initially planned, the HCMC cultural department announced Thursday.
Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon Renovation Information:
Address: 1 Cong Xa Paris Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Notre Dame Cathedral Saigon Vietnam is recognized as one of the world's 19 most gorgeous cathedrals, the only one from Southeast Asia. This timeless masterpiece, regarded as the architectural icon of Ho Chi Minh City, attracts a steady stream of new visitors seeking old majesty, sanctity, and wonderful picture opportunities.
Lam Ngo Hoang Anh, office head of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sport, stated that the protracted interruption caused by COVID-19, as well as the fact that some materials must be imported from overseas, have contributed to the significant delay.
The rehabilitation project, which cost more than VND140 billion ($5.98 million), started in 2017 and was scheduled to be finished in 2023.
Anh stated that the barriers around the cathedral will be removed only when the repairs were completed in 2027.
The French colonialists erected the church in 1877. Its construction has deteriorated over the course of more than a century, prompting the Archdiocese of HCMC to request renovations.
The Notre Dame Basilica of Saigon in District 1 has been under reconstruction for the past six years. Initially, it was expected that the project would be completed this year. However, the Covid-19 epidemic caused supply issues in Europe and increased expenses by 30-40% because it lasted more than two years.
Father Ignatio Ho Van Xuan, leader of the restoration department, said, "When re-evaluating with the restoration unit from Belgium, we agreed that the restoration process cannot be rushed but needs to be done very carefully to ensure the longevity of the church."
In contrast to 2017, a three-meter-high fence now encircles the whole church. For repair reasons, a 60-meter-high scaffolding was built on the structure's front side.
Jules Bourard, a French architect, designed the church. Construction started in 1877 and took three years to finish. The Vatican has designated the Notre Dame Basilica of Saigon as a basilica since 1959.
The tile roof system was among the first elements to be restored. Even though just a piece of the roof has been fixed, the church's roof today appears far better than it did six years ago.
According to Priest Ho Van Xuan, none of the segments have yet been restored because they are all interrelated and must be restored at the same time, components that are significantly damaged will be replaced, while unharmed components will be kept.
The church's walls are no longer moldy, and the outside gutter system is partially restored.
The contractor is focusing primarily on two bell towers and two zinc towers. Each of the tower's four sides has several corroded and broken chunks of Pierre de Paris limestone. Each brick is around 4 tons in weight. Before each block can be mechanically removed, the contractor must break it into smaller 500-kilogram chunks.
Following consultation with professionals, the restoration board decided to utilize a replacement stone known as Pierre de Massengis. This type of stone is more durable and looks much nicer. The stones, ordered from France, will be shipped to a foundry in Belgium and sculpted to match the original stone blocks. The imported stone blocks weigh around 90 tons in total. Some of the replacement stones have already been hauled up to the tower.
The zinc tower is surrounded by scaffolding. Over the last 140 years, several of the roofing sheets have rusted and corroded. The new Azengar plus zinc panels will be utilized to re-roof the two towers.
Two crosses were removed from the church's roof in early March and transferred to Belgium for repair. The two 127-year-old crosses have rusted over time. The crosses are more than 1.8 meters broad, about 4 meters tall, and weighs 600 kg.
A trailer was used to convey the Pierre de Massengis stones from the material and supply storage area to the construction site. All of the materials were purchased from Europe and sent by boat and air. To prevent changing the appearance of the church, the required materials have to be similar to the originals.
The repair presently involves over 40 people, all of whom must complete training and testing. The bulk of staff work indoors, specifically in the bell tower area. To stay on track, they frequently have to work more than 8 hours each day, and occasionally longer.
The stones are linked together and carried up to the two towers by machine. The church must photograph the work every day so that Belgian professionals may assess the refurbishment.
Exterior walls that have been damaged or defiled will be replaced or cleaned. Changing hundreds of thousands of bricks will take a long time and cost a lot of money. The church will petition the city to construct an open fence along its side to safeguard the property from vandalism.
On Christmas 2022, a set of 25 German-made bells, consisting of 16 little bells and 9 large bells, was installed outside the church. While the ancient bells are being refurbished, the new ones will temporarily replace them.
In 1879, a set of six old bells weighing more than 30 tons and standing an average height of three meters were cast in France and installed in the church's two towers. The bell mechanism is still functional and in good shape, however the wooden support is broken and decaying. As of January 2020, the rack system was being repaired and refurbished, and the old bell set was no longer operational.
Following an examination, the construction team confirmed that the church's foundation and structure were in good shape, allowing religious activities to continue in the interior area.
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