Notre-Dame de Paris: 750 solid oak wood panels enhance the manufacture of the cathedral's 1,500 new chairs
An extraordinary project! Landes-based joinery Sièges Bastiat has selected the Ducerf Group's solid oak panels to make the seats for 1,500 new chairs for Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral. This historic and exceptional achievement was part of a call for projects launched by the Archbishop of Paris and the association "Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris", of which the South-West company was the winner. In all, 750 Panoplot© oak cabinetry quality panels from our sawmill will be used every year by the 12 million worshippers and tourists who come to admire the nave of the restored monument, once it is inaugurated at the end of 2024. When solid oak from Burgundy meets French History once again, the Ducerf Group is there!
The story has come full circle. When Edouard Ducerf, CEO of the Ducerf Group, looks up at the steeple of the little church in Vendenesse-lès-Charolles (71), where the headquarters of the Saône-et-Loire company are located, his voice is tinged with a particular emotion. "In this 12th century church built by the monks of Cluny, the chairs were made from solid oak that my grandfather selected and sawn. Today, the chairs in the most visited cathedral in the world - Notre-Dame de Paris - are made from our Burgundy hardwood... What a long way the Group has come, what an honour and what a symbol!" he says with pride and humility.
Indeed, the Ducerf Group has been chosen by Sièges Bastiat, a company based in Hagetmau in the Landes region of France, to supply the 750 panels needed to make the 1,500 new chairs that will adorn the nave of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. This follows the fire that ravaged the monument on 15 April 2019. The joinery workshop, which has been awarded the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label by the French government in recognition of its excellent craft and industrial skills, was the winner of the call for projects issued by the archbishop of Paris and the Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris in 2022 association. The chairs were designed by Breton designer Ionna Vautrin, and the seats are made from solid oak from our family business in Burgundy. The Gaudelas sawmill contributed the wood for the legs and backs.
Our video report from the Sièges Bastiat company in Hagetmau (40): YouTube link XXX
A demand for quality commensurate with a unique project
To reach this point, the criteria defined in the specifications were numerous. "We were looking for expertise in gluing the panels," explains Alain Bastiat, founder of Sièges Bastiat, which was set up in 1964. "The origin of the wood was a crucial step in ensuring its quality," he continues. "Solid oak was an obvious choice, but subconsciously we didn't think we'd find a supplier in France. Glued laminated panels require a very demanding level of expertise. Once we'd done our research, it was the Ducerf Group that clearly met our needs. Firstly, in terms of the exceptional quality of the product, particularly in terms of the fineness of the grain and the absence of discolouration. We had a very uniform product, which is essential for an exceptional project. Then, what really made us decide to continue the adventure were the local, French and Burgundian wood aspects in particular, as well as its PEFC certification, which guarantees sustainable forest management," points out Alain Bastiat from the joinery workshop.
The result? A seat made from QF1A solid oak panels, the highest quality offered by the Ducerf Group, with very uniform colour and no knots. Ideal for blending in perfectly with the nave of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, in harmony with the oak of the roof structure. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the solidity of the wood and its made-to-measure machining guarantee comfort. The wood will also stand the test of time: various deliberate outrages have been carried out in the Sièges Bastiat test laboratory to ensure that the chairs can be used and stacked for decades of celebrations.
Panels with technical characteristics popular for interior fittings
The Ducerf Group's Panoplot© solid oak panels are made up of solid strips running the full length and laminated together across the width. In other words, they are ready-to-use panels. A valuable asset in the eyes of Cédric, cabinetmaker at Sièges Bastiat: "The panels arrive already glued, which saves us a considerable amount of time," explains the wood professional. "They're also sanded on one side, so there's no need for additional touch-ups. What's more, the size of the panel means that we have very few offcuts when we make the customised seat, which would not be the case if we had produced these elements in-house, with an entirely manual design," he points out.
In the workshop, in front of the machining centre where a pallet of panels made in Ducerf waits, Alain Bastiat is satisfied with the products chosen: "When machined, the panel's flatness is guaranteed and the wood is soft, proof of the quality of the trees and the place where they were harvested. This allows us to glaze the surfaces even more, with a well-dried wood where the pores are sufficiently open," he explains. "Thanks to these panels, the seats of the Notre-Dame chairs are perfect. But for us, they also open up a whole new world of possibilities in terms of interior design products, and that's very exciting," says Alain Bastiat.
"I was blown away by their technical solutions and their responsiveness".
To bring this unusual project to fruition, Bastiat was in close contact with the Ducerf Group: "From the outset, we were reassured by the support provided by the sales team," recalls Sylvain Bastiat, manager of the Landes-based SME. "Our discussions were very constructive, and we quickly established a partnership. We were very quickly able to start prototyping and then get samples. When we have a question, it's not just a simple answer that we get, it's a precise and reliable technical response. Finally, I was impressed by their responsiveness. Solutions are found very quickly, and Ducerf's large stock means we can be delivered quickly via our trade. And you can imagine that on a historic project like Notre-Dame de Paris, we had no right to make mistakes!
In the end, the manufacture of the 1,500 new chairs for Notre-Dame de Paris using solid oak from the Ducerf Group was an exceptional achievement. "It's an immense source of pride and emotion for the whole Group to contribute to the history of this monument visited by the whole world, especially after having already contributed to the reconstruction of the roof structure and the spire with our oaks," confides Carole Debize, head of communications for the Ducerf Group. For Sièges Bastiat too, this project and partnership will go down in history. "We're delighted to be sharing this project with the Ducerf Group," adds Sylvain Bastiat. "Recognised as a living heritage family business, we've been making chairs for over 60 years now. By collaborating with another family business, we are delighted to be able to showcase historic French know-how. Our shared values and complementary expertise open up great possibilities for the future," he concludes.
Delivery of the 1,500 new chairs to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is expected in October, ahead of the inauguration of the restored monument on 8 December 2024, just over 5 years after its tragic fire. And from 2025 onwards, Sièges Bastiat and the Ducerf Group could be working together on new projects of historic significance!
Rediscover our video report from Hagetmau (40) at the Sièges Bastiat company, following in the footsteps of the Notre-Dame de Paris chair seats: YouTube link XXX
