On May 19, 2026, the Paris administrative court rejected requests from heritage associations Sites & Monuments and SOS Paris to suspend the removal and replacement of the stained-glass windows at Notre-Dame Cathedral. The associations had sought to block the prefect's authorization to remove the 19th-century windows by Alfred Gérente and install six new contemporary windows designed by Claire Tabouret, arguing legal doubts about the project. The judge ruled that the operation was reversible—since the new panels are the same size as the originals and the removed windows will be restored and displayed—thus no urgent suspension was warranted.
This ruling matters because it sets a legal precedent for contemporary art interventions in historic heritage sites in France. While the associations plan to continue their fight on the merits of the case, the decision affirms that reversible contemporary additions can proceed without automatic suspension, even when opposed by preservationists. The case will ultimately clarify the legal framework governing artistic updates to protected monuments, balancing heritage conservation with the presidential and ecclesiastical desire for modern artistic gestures in one of the world's most famous cathedrals.