Restoration
Efforts to restore old and historic buildings focus on the materials used to build them and ensuring they’re in good condition. VINCI companies specialising in this field are concerned, above all, to respect and preserve a structure’s authenticity. Restoration does not mean returning a building to its original, new state; the aim, rather, is to preserve, stabilise and make attractive as much as possible of the surviving original fabric.Each project is different, and only a thorough preliminary survey undertaken by historians, archaeologists and other experts can give an indication of the scope of work likely to be involved.Unforeseen complications are frequent : a restoration project calls for great responsiveness and flexibility, and a precision of workmanship that can generally only be achieved manually.
Stone-cutting and traditional masonry
VINCI firms working with stone always employ the cutting techniques used at the time the original stone was cut. Traditional know-how is applied to all areas of stone-cutting : engraving by hand, marble masonry, and sculpture, and to all types of stone : limestone, sandstone, granite, lava, marble...
References
Restoration of Strasbourg Cathedral (France) by Chanzy-Pardoux.
Restoration of Strasbourg Cathedral (France) by Chanzy-Pardoux
Chanzy-Pardoux, approved by the Monuments Historiques, is restoring the north side of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Strasbourg. The work involves replacing badly damaged stonework at the inner end of spans and in the flying buttresses and buttresses. Sandstone from a quarry in the Palatinate in Germany is sliced up and then sawn to the right dimensions. Precision as regards size is of the essence, the new blocks must fit exactly into a very precise slot; a deviation of just a few millimetres could destabilise the whole structure. The craftsmen then give the blocks the same surface appearance as the original blocks. It takes three months to complete a particularly intricate piece.
The restoration of the Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde in Marseille (France) by Girard.
The restoration of the Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde in Marseille (France) by Girard
Specialised in the restoration of historic buildings, Girard was selected to restore the tower and façades of the Basilique Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde. Symbolising the city of Marseilles, the “Good Mother” stands 45 meters above ground-level : renovating the tower stands took fourteen months, of which two were devoted to just erecting the scaffolding. In all, Girard’s teams put in 25,000 hours of work.
Other references
- Degaine : restoration of the ramparts and the abbey at Mont Saint-Michel
- Comte : restoration of the church of St Nizier in Lyon
- Faure & Silva : restoration of the Musée Basque in Bayonne
Carpentry and roofing
VINCI firms ensure that only best quality wood is used, replacement pieces are precisely shaped and the final assembly is of a high standard.Designing spires, belfries and vaulted structures gives them an ideal opportunity to display their skill; but they also tackle flooring projects and all joinery and cabinetmaking work.Whenever they’re restoring an old roof, VINCI firms aim to source and use period building materials : Roman tiles, flat or glazed tiles, natural slate, copper, lead or zinc.
References
Renovation of the roof of the church of La Madeleine in Béziers (France) by Cavalier.
Renovation of the roof of the church of La Madeleine in Béziers (France) by Cavalier
Cavalier spent three years completely renovating the roofing of the church of La Madeleine in Béziers. In particular, the work involved replacing two roof trusses (parts of the roof frame supporting the roofing) above the nave, and renovation of the roof, made from nibbed Roman tiles.
Restoration of the roofing of the two chapels of Calvary at Mégève (France) by Bourgeois.
Restoration of the roofing of the two chapels of Calvary at Mégève (France) by Bourgeois
Bourgeois has completed an exact restoration of the towers and roofing of the chapels of Notre Dame des Vertus and Scala Santa du Calvaire at Mégève. The traditional methods for onion-shaped domes were followed : manufacture of scale-like tiles in copper, acanthus leaves, little windows and rounded features. Only the best was used by way of materials : tinned copper and Morzine slate.
Other references
- Girard : restoration of the wooden vaulted ceiling of the great Banqueting Hall at the Papal Palace in Avignon (France)
- Bourgeois : reconstruction of the spire of the church of St Paul in Lyon (France)
- Comte : repair of the roof timbers and roofing of the cloister at the abbey of St Fortunat (France)
Wrought-iron work, wall painting and decorative work
With metal pre-supposes a thorough knowledge of different styles and of the history of architecture in general; the restoration of old metalwork involves constantly seeking out and then applying the methods used in the past.Wall painting, polychromes, frescos and gilding are all very traditional skills. Stucco and plaster are exceptional materials, used to reconstitute lost or damaged decorative work, to create ceilings and decorative plasterwork.The craftsmen working for specialised VINCI firms (iron craftsmen, sculptors, fresco painters, gilders and stucco artists) exercise these professions in a traditional way, combining a knowledge of history and art with technical skills.
References
Restoration of the Quadriges at the Grand Palais in Paris (France) by Socra.
Restoration of the Quadriges at the Grand Palais in Paris (France) by Socra
Socra has finished restoring the two sculptures guarding the entrance of the Grand Palais in Paris. Executed in bronze by Recipon, they were first presented in situ at the time of the Universal Exhibition of 1900. The Quadriges were restored in the workshop before being replaced on their masonry base: the defective iron frameworks were changed, protective paint was applied to each piece, missing parts were replaced. This project, placed under the authority of Alain-Charles Perrot, chief architect at Monuments Historiques, was completed, within the contractual deadline, in 24 months.
Restoration of the fountains at the Place de la Concorde in Paris (France) by Socra.
Restoration of the fountains at the Place de la Concorde in Paris (France) by Socra
This 2 fountains, by Hittorf (1840) has required a year’s meticulous work, organised in a number of carefully planned stages : total dismantling of the various parts; documentary research and laboratory analysis of the coppering in order to identify its composition and original appearance; elastomer moulding of parts that were too damaged and had to be recast; sandblasting, drying in a furnace and rust-proofing of the casts; repair of eroded skin with applications of epoxy resins; painting with patina effects; application of gold leaf, and reinstallation.
Restoration of the pictorial decoration in the church of the Resurrection at Abu Gosh (Israel) by Socra.
Restoration of the pictorial decoration in the church of the Resurrection at Abu Gosh (Israel) by Socra
The church at the monastery of the Resurrection at Abu Gosh had pictorial decoration dating from the second half of the XIth century : decorating the three apses, the first two sections of the high church and the vault of the crypt, it was in very poor condition. Watercolour depictions by the Comte de Piellat provided valuable information about the iconography of some of the paintings that have in the meantime been lost.Socra was responsible for the various, painstaking restoration processes : graphic surveys, consolidation of the pictorial layers by injecting hydraulic lime and acrylic resins, sealing of the surface using gentle abrasive techniques, cleaning by applying compresses and, finally, watercolour “a trattegio” treatment of incomplete areas.
Other references
- Chanzy-Pardoux : restoration of the ceilings and decorative plasterwork of the Cathedral in Toul (France)
- Socra : restoration of the interior decoration of the Basilique du Sacré Coeur in Paris and of the ornamental copper sculptures of the Alexander III Bridge in Paris.