More than 1,100 architects and academics have signed an open letter to French president Emmanuel Macron warning him that the five-year restoration target he set for Notre Dame Cathedral is too short.

A total of 1,169 names appear on the letter, published by Le Figaro, which urges Macron to “let historians and experts have the time for diagnosis before deciding on the future of the monument” following April 15’s fire.

In a speech the following day, Macron vowed to complete the cathedral’s restoration in time for the Paris Olympics in 2024. Later the same week prime minister Edouard Philippe announced that an international competition would be launched seeking ideas to replace the cathedral’s destroyed spire.

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