Immersive exhibition on Notre Dame de Paris opens at the Abbey next February
Thursday, 23rd November 2023
Westminster Abbey will be the UK location for the world touring immersive exhibition: Notre Dame de Paris, The Augmented Exhibition from 7th February – 1st June 2024.
Revealing the story of the French gothic masterpiece, Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) from its earliest origins in the 12th century and its illustrious 850-year history to its painstaking restoration following the devastating fire of 2019, it has been created by digital heritage specialists, Histovery, in collaboration with Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris, and is supported by L’Oréal Groupe.
Already seen by 300,000 exhibition-goers worldwide the UK location will be the 13th century Chapter House at the Abbey, another famous and iconic church which is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture.
Interactive journey
Visitors will be taken on an immersive and interactive journey through Notre Dame’s past including the lavish wedding of King Henri IV, the glittering coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the 19th century construction of Notre-Dame’s iconic spire of Viollet-le-Duc, which was tragically destroyed by the fire. The skill, artistry and vision over the ages of its architects, craftsmen and builders, and the 21st century experts who are bringing it back to its former glory will be brought to life in the show.
Visitors to the exhibition will be issued a HistoPad™—a portable, touch-screen tablet developed by Histovery that will serve as their portal to key moments in Notre-Dame’s history and restoration. The intuitive device’s technology is accessible to visitors of all ages and levels of technological savvy. Its narrative is presented in 13 languages and is supplemented by a virtual treasure hunt for children and an onboard selfie studio.
The HistoPad™ tour through Notre-Dame’s history takes place in the Abbey’s Chapter House and is designed to envelope the visitor in a multi-sensory experience—including audio of the cathedral’s organ and tolling bells, a full-size replica of one of the structure’s famed chimera statues, and a projection of one of Notre-Dame’s iconic rose windows, which survived the fire.
About the exhibition and booking
Notre Dame de Paris, The Augmented Exhibition will be part of Fraternité, a spring season of events at the Abbey celebrating the links between the UK and France with music, talks and events.
Exhibition entry is included in the price of admission with timed booking slots. You can book tickets from 1st December 2023 via the Notre Dame de Paris exhibition listing.
Notre Dame de Paris is due to reopen again after restoration work at the end of 2024.
