The experience is called “Eternal Notre-Dame”, and it is stunningly realistic. From this Saturday, January 15, this immersive journey is open to the public at the Grande Arche in La Défense. Equipped with a virtual reality headset and a backpack containing a small computer, visitors aged 11 and over will discover the history of Notre-Dame in a fun and spectacular way. A hyperrealistic dive into time and space, as the public moves through the corners of the cathedral, from the nave to the framework.
A dive into 850 years of history, from the Middle Ages to the present day
In a 45-minute journey, visitors wander in and around the Cathedral as if they were there. Designed to be shared, the visit can be experienced in a small group, up to five people. Once equipped, the spectators will follow in the footsteps of a companion of duty, a benevolent light spectrum, who will guide them. From the narrow streets of Paris, to its construction site, from its framework to the belfry where its bells ring, to the ravages of the terrible fire of April 15, 2019, visitors observe its evolution and its secrets. They also meet craftsmen, stonemasons, but also the great figures who have marked its history, such as the famous architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.
30% of the ticket to the restoration of Notre-Dame
The experiment is at the initiative of the operator Orange and the production company Amaclio Productions. On the technical side, the company Emissive designed the course. Guillaume Martini, is creative director. “We see inaccessible places, such as the framework, which unfortunately disappeared but which was reconstituted at the time of Viollet-le-Duc.” According to Philippe Jost, Deputy Director General of the Public Establishment responsible for the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, this format of visit responds to a request from the public. “The construction site cannot be accessible to the public, he explains. And from this point of view, the immersive experience meets a real expectation”.
– images: Orange/Emissive – Eternal Notre-Dame – 2021 ©
The price of the ticket is 30 euros full price, 30% of which will be donated by Orange to the public establishment responsible for the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral. and to the Notre-Dame Foundation for financing the interior design of the cathedral. The experience lasts until the end of 2022 at La Défense. Two other sites will open, the Conciergerie in the spring and under the parvis of Notre-Dame in the fall. Organizers hope to attract 150,000 visitors a year.