A recent day in Paris may have begun with tragedy, with a fire at the Cathedral de Notre-Dame, but it ended with hope that the beloved structure will be restored and once again elevate the human experience, writes Carmen Anthony Ferrigno – the Vice President of Communications, Branding, and Philanthropy at Saint-Gobain’s North American headquarters in Malvern – on LinkedIn.

Saint-Gobain is based on the outskirts of Paris and was founded 353 years ago during the reign of Louis XIV to build the Palace of Versailles Hall of Mirrors. Now, the company designs, manufactures, and distributes building materials and solutions that are key ingredients in the well-being of each of us and the future of all.

“A deep-burning crimson scorched our souls as we saw the loss, not of property, of wood or even of history, but more of a shared refuge, of a sanctuary sanctified by not simply by a religion but equally immortalized by art, architecture, and the resolute drive of human progress,” Ferrigno said.

What he noticed most about the morning photos of the wreckage was the sun shining into a space that had not seen direct sunlight for 850 years.

“It was a wholly new point of view of that ancient space and an opportunity to see restoration itself in a new light, one informed by science and warmed by our humanity,” Ferrigno said.

The rebuilding process will require his company to call on its collective hearts and heads in equal measure.

“Bringing those two halves together is the only way to unlock our purpose as a partner in this rebuilding, the only way to add to our legacy,” Ferrigno said, “and the first, best, and last way for us to give to Paris, to Cathedral de Notre-Dame, what it has so readily given to the 15 generations of Saint-Gobain employees who have come before us over the last 353 years — a reason to pursue a purpose that provides comfort and well-being to humanity when they need it most.”

Click here to read more from Saint-Gobain’s Carmen Anthony Ferrigno on LinkedIn.

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