Last month, Notre-Dame had hardly finished smoldering by the time French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the cathedral would be rebuilt “more beautiful than before." In the wake of the fire that stunned and devastated admirers around the globe, the city of Paris put forth a call for proposals from architecture firms to reimagine the historic structure, with Macron stating that he was not opposed to “a contemporary architectural gesture.” The open call ignited a battle between traditionalists who wanted to see the cathedral restored to its original glory, while others preferred a more inventive approach. But now it seems that any plan to rethink the classic structure has been scrapped.

The French Senate–approved bill, which was first created and approved by the country's National Assembly, now includes a clause that stipulates the structure must be restored "to its last known visual state," being Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's 1860s design, and that the use of any new materials must be properly justified. The bill also states that the restoration be complete in time for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, as well as removed language that would have given the government final veto over planning regulations. The senate also agreed that a public committee would be created to oversee the restoration, managed by by the French Ministry of Culture. The bill will go back to the National Assembly so the two parties can come to an agreement.

An interior view of Notre-Dame following the tragic fire.

In the month following the blaze, the architecture community has put forth a plethora of possibilities. Some are more reasonable than others , but while the forthcoming project's aesthetics have been hotly debated, many have agreed that the timeline for completing restoration by 2024 is unrealistic, not to mention potentially dangerous. Last month, an open letter to President Macron was published in French newspaper Le Figaro , with 1,170 signatures by conservators, architects, academics, and more, who called for prudence in the construction, as the restoration of the cathedral is an issue that is greater than any one single person. "It's absurd to be locked into a five-year period if it leads to cutting corners on the quality of the construction," argued French Senator Alain Schmitz. "The project should last however long it needs to last."