New portal of Angers Cathedral: “But how can you ask a renowned architect to efface himself before the monument?”

In Famille chrétienne, Thomas Cauchebrais focused on the new portal of Angers Cathedral, which is generating controversy:

[…] This “climate buffer,” commissioned by the State, was designed by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma as a transitional space between the exterior and the sanctuary. This protective portal was inaugurated with great fanfare on April 9. […]

Among art historians and, more broadly, among heritage professionals in Anjou, public criticism is rare, even if opinions remain divided. “With its overly harsh, cold lines—especially the roof—I don’t find it in keeping with Christian sensibilities,” one of them confided off the record. Only François Jeanneau, honorary chief architect of historical monuments and president of the Friends of Old Angers association, dared to openly offer a critical, yet nuanced, perspective on this addition. While acknowledging “a beautiful work, well-designed and very well executed” by Kengo Kuma, he nevertheless felt that the structure represented too sharp a break with the medieval building. According to him, the project’s proportions stray too far from the original structure, risking hindering its legibility, particularly in the treatment of the arcades and columns. […]

“But how can you ask a renowned architect to efface himself before the monument by adding a modest and integrated work? When precisely this was very likely the right direction, the right architectural approach that should have been taken.” “It’s impossible. So we’ve got exactly what we wanted: a contemporary work.”

[…] A view shared by his predecessor as head of the Friends of Old Angers association, Guy Massin-Le Goff. A former curator of antiquities and works of art for Maine-et-Loire, he is, however, far less nuanced than François Jeanneau. “I think it’s a serious mistake. But what can you do? You have people at the ministry who want to be modern… it’s the fashion,” he declares. And he adds, not without a touch of irony: “I remember those contemporary architects telling me at major heritage meetings… ‘But come on, sir, don’t forget that we’re building for a 30-year lifespan.’”

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