final stretch for Bastiat Seats before delivery of 1,500 chairs to Notre-Dame de Paris

HAS a few weeks before the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris, from December 7, many craftsmen are completing a more than monumental project. However, the latest adjustments do not all take place within the Parisian cathedral. Some are done in the Landes, in Hagetmau. More precisely in the workshops of the company Sièges Bastiat, which was assigned the solemn task of manufacturing the furniture for welcoming the public to Notre-Dame de Paris, whose number of visitors per year is estimated at 15 million. In all, 1,500 chairs, around forty benches, around sixty prayer tables and nearly 160 kneelers were requested from the Bosc brand, from the Sièges Bastiat company.

This sizeable order did not come out of the blue. But rather from Pornic, when the Breton designer Ionna Vautrin thought of Sièges Bastiat to participate alongside her in the refurnishing of the Parisian cathedral. Initially, at the end of 2022, the one who is already known for having designed the TGV lamp for the SNCF was preselected to respond to Notre-Dame's closed call for tenders. From his first sketches, wood seemed obvious to him. He then had to find a wooden furniture manufacturer. His choice for the Bosc brand, recommended by fellow designers, also quickly became obvious. The first contact between Ionna and Sièges Bastiat took place at the beginning of 2023. Geneviève Bastiat, a member of the company, remembers remaining incredulous, by telephone, when the designer mentioned to her that it was a project for Notre- Lady of Paris.

“Silent chair”

Designer and manufacturer then design a prototype chair in solid oak. The specifications stipulated a “silent chair”. Which Ionna interpreted as both a phonic and visual criterion. This is why she chose a relatively low seat, 78 centimeters high, to remain discreet and “reveal the architectural elements of the cathedral”. The columns of the back, arranged in an arch, are also with a view to quasi-transparency in the space and to recall the Gothic characteristics of Notre-Dame. In July 2023, the prototype designed by the designer and the Hagetmautian company is officially approved by the Notre-Dame jury. The Landes manufacturer is then involved for good in the reconstruction project of the cathedral following the fire of April 2019.

In the 2,800 square meters of the family business's workshops, 17 employees have been hard at work since February 2024 to bring out the 1,500 chairs and hundreds of other pieces of furniture. “The hardest part was getting started. We put pressure on ourselves,” admits Christian Guyonnet, carpenter. With more than 1,000 chairs already assembled, the actions are now more than mastered by the employees, for whom participating in this project is a “great source of pride”. “We hope to be invited to the inauguration,” Christian slips.

The last seats are still being manufactured. In the workshops filled with pieces of raw wood, the chairs for Notre-Dame almost blend in with the other Bosc creations. But the furniture for Notre-Dame is recognizable by its multiplicity, with chairs stacked in several rows. To accommodate this extraordinary project, some adjustments were necessary. In particular by installing a second machining center, to carve wooden parts.

All of the furniture for Notre-Dame is made of solid French oak. Everything, PEFC (Forest Certification Recognition Program) certified, from wood cutting to manufacturing. The solid oak blocks are supplied by the Gaudelas sawmill in Loir-et-Cher and the plates, also made of oak for the seats, are supplied by Ducerf in Burgundy, two PEFC-certified companies, just like Sièges Bastiat.

Further into the workshops, the scent of wood gives way to that of varnish. After cutting and assembly, a water-based stain and two coats of varnish are carefully applied to each item of furniture. Designers and manufacturers have long hesitated to leave the wood in its raw state or to darken it slightly. The second option was finally chosen. “It has to speak with the liturgical furniture which will be in bronze. In the end, it’s a good compromise to freeze the color in time,” explains designer Ionna Vautrin.

Made entirely from Landes

If certain stages have been subcontracted, the manufacturing is intended to be “entirely Landes”, as Sylvain Bastiat, sales manager of the company, is keen to emphasize. The turning of the wooden parts was carried out by Xavier Favaro in Hagetmau. The machining of the brass parts was entrusted to Almeca in Saint-Paul-lès-Dax. All the backrests were engraved with the “ND” logo for Notre-Dame, and the crosspieces with the signatures of Bosc and Ionna Vautrin, by Woodstache in Capbreton.

In recent months, the designer has traveled back and forth between Brittany and the Landes. She will return once again to Hagetmau for the blessing of the chairs by the Bishop of Landes Monseigneur Nicolas Souchu, on November 18. The 1,500 chairs will head to Paris on November 19, transported by two semi-trailers. A second convoy of two other seedlings will leave on December 2. In the meantime, the furniture is stored in a separate warehouse, under the divine eye and cameras.

Although the majority of the order has left the workshops, the adventure does not end at the beginning of December for Sièges Bastiat. The head of the company, Alain Bastiat, estimates that he has completed 80% of it. Manufacturing will continue until February 2025. At the beginning of November, employees are tackling the manufacture of more complex prie-Dieu. “The experience with the chair allowed us to move up a notch in technicality,” explains the manager. In addition to manufacturing, a maintenance contract binds the Hagetmautian company to Notre-Dame de Paris almost for life. By praying and knocking on wood so that no new tragic event dilapidates the cathedral and the Hagetmautien furniture.