Archinect - News

French officials float €5 tourist entrance fee after Notre Dame reopening

2024-10-29T09:59:00-04:00

The soon-to-reopen Notre Dame Cathedral might include a €5 entrance fee. The French cultural minister's controversial proposal, which The Guardian says is being "fiercely opposed" by the Roman Catholic church’s leaders, could raise upwards of €75 million ($80.8 million) annually. A 1905 law enshrining secularism in France could prevent the fee from being enacted. Ariel Weil, who represents the city center, told a radio outlet "The minister’s proposal as it stands may not be possible, but it does raise the question of the huge number of visitors to Notre Dame and the colossal investments required in our religious heritage nationwide."

Notre Dame is scheduled to reopen its doors on December 8th after a five-year reconstruction.

In the face of post-pandemic habits, U.S. cities turn to vernacular design traditions for answers

2024-09-12T07:00:00-04:00

Gone are the days when the easiest way to make an architectural splash was with a shimmering and photogenic stand-alone building, fancy forms torquing this way and that. Along with exploring new takes on regional or vernacular design traditions, the field’s top talents are taking on projects that reimagine existing institutions or public spaces — or forge new links among them.

In a new piece for The New York Times, Yale School of Architecture senior critic Christopher Hawthorne explores how architects are striving to rejuvenate downtown areas across the U.S., where hybrid work schedules and negative perceptions have led to reduced vibrancy.

While converting commercial buildings into residential spaces is a popular strategy, it's not always feasible due to structural constraints, Hawthorne argues. Architects are therefore exploring strategies to entice activity downtown by reimagining existing structures and incorporating regional aesthetics.

Related on Archinect: Foster + Partners' Three Transamerica redesign wins approval in San Francisco. Image credit: dbox, courtesy of Foster + Partners/SHVO

Throughout the New York Times piece, Hawthorne cites examples such as the Seattle Aquarium's Ocean Pavilion by LMN Architects which reconnects the city to its waterfront, the revitalized Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco by Foster + Partners aimed at attracting ...

Touring Notre Dame Cathedral with its army of restorers

2024-07-24T15:32:00-04:00

I personally grew fond of the general. Touring the different workshops, he always mentioned the “battle for France” that they absolutely had to win, but also spoke of his deep gratitude. That afternoon in June last year in Saumur, he told the compagnons: “Your pride in your work is beautiful to see. How lucky France is to have you helping to return this absolute masterpiece of a spire to the sky of Paris.”

A restoration of this order should take 10 to 15 years (that’s according to experts speaking immediately after the April 15, 2019, blaze). Instead, an army of over 2,000 workers and skilled tradespeople has diligently chipped away under the direction of General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who died unexpectedly last August. Their incredible pace has required a truly global effort.

The world gets its first glimpse at the restored national treasure when it officially reopens on the morning of December 8th with the now "happy" architect Philippe Villeneuve and President Emmanuel Macron in attendance.

LEGO releases Notre-Dame Cathedral model ahead of December reopening

2024-06-10T13:14:00-04:00

Ahead of the summer's Olympic Games in Paris, the New York Times has previewed LEGO's timely launch of its new Notre-Dame Cathedral model. The set retails for $229.99 and is part of the company's AFOL 18 and over series. The real Notre-Dame’s reconstruction, meanwhile, is set to wrap up in December.

“Once you complete it, you can actually look through the front door,” one ameteur builder told the Times. “You get the sense of the space, the sense of majesty that comes with it.”

Notre Dame’s plans for contemporary stained-glass windows spark cries of ‘vandalism’ in Paris

2023-12-26T14:53:00-05:00

Plans for the contemporary replacement of some of the stained glass windows inside Notre Dame Cathedral’s damaged interior have sparked a considerable outcry from the public a year before the Parisian landmark is set to begin reopening in the wake of the destructive 2019 fire.

Calls for a new competition to design windows for six of Notre Dame’s seven south aisle side chapels has led to a petition signed by 120,000 people urging the French government to reconsider on grounds that they would distort the originality of architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc’s 19th-century expansion, according to a report from The Guardian.

The new window designs would replace what emerged from the catastrophe undamaged and are therefore considered important relics of the blaze by heritage experts and other conservation specialists. Nevertheless, the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, requested the French state’s approval of new windows, a solicitation President Emmanuel Macron then threw his office’s suppo...

Notre Dame Cathedral completes spire reconstruction ahead of 2024 reopening

2023-12-11T17:30:00-05:00

France had previously reversed plans for the restoration’s completion before the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games prior to the death of project overseer General Jean-Louis Georgelin in August. The replacement of the original 19th-century spire was heavily debated before officials decided on a historically accurate timber and lead reconstruction, which was done without the adorning sculptural relics and a copper rooster figurine. Both outstanding elements are expected to be added later, along with contemporary stained glass windows.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris (@rebatirnotredamedeparis)

Now, with interior clean-ups and ceiling vault reconstructions also completed, an army of 500 will turn to exterior renovations and the installation of a new fire protection system and roof coverings.

As reported by the NYT, the collapse of Notre Dame's spire during the tragic fire deeply affected both Parisians on-site and a glob...

Will the 2024 Olympic flame be installed on the Eiffel Tower?

2023-05-26T15:02:00-04:00

Paris 2024 organisers have been planning to install the Olympic flame on the Eiffel Tower, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday. The source added that the flame would not be put at the top of the Eiffel Tower, for technical reasons, and it was not clear whether it would stay on the monument throughout the Games but the combination of two such iconic images would be a dramatic backdrop to the July 26-Aug. 11 event.

The new antenna array on top of the tower is the only thing preventing the flame from alighting (pun) on its freshly-painted pinnacle. The flame traditionally symbolizes the continuity of the ancient into modernity.

Notre-Dame Cathedral, meanwhile, will not have its own makeover readied in time for the 2024 summer games' commencement on July 26, as per the French government's latest update.

In a turnaround, French officials say Notre Dame’s restoration will not be ready in time for the Olympics

2023-03-06T17:38:00-05:00

Notre-Dame Cathedral's spire will be back in place by the end of the year, but a full reopening following the devastating fire of 2019 will not happen before next year's Paris Olympic Games. The reconstruction is still on track for completion by the end of 2024, the culture ministry told AFP. But the sharp spire, added by architect Eugene Viollet-Le-Duc during the cathedral's redesign in the 19th century, will be back in place by the end of 2023, the ministry said.

This setback constitutes a major blow to French President Emmanuel Macron’s lofty initial promise to have the restoration work completed in time for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games. Spectators had called into question whether or not the goal was feasible or even salutary from the beginning, particularly because of the water retained in the vaulted ceilings and other structural issues related to the composition of the stone.

Previously on Archinect: France’s Culture Ministry says Notre Dame is still on track to reopen in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics

The spire itself was the subject of a debate within the country. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe’s preference for a new version that was “adapted to the techniques and the challenges of our era” eventually got scrapped in favor of a more historically accurate construction made of timber and lead elements in line with the government’s mandate to restore Notre-Dame to its its “last known visual state.”

France 24 reported th...

Notre Dame's 'shocking' interior cleaning is sparking a debate about methods used in architectural restoration

2022-11-22T14:19:00-05:00

The current cleaning phase involves the application of a latex paste to the interior stonework. After a few days, the latex can be peeled off, bringing with it accumulated dust and dirt. Speaking to The Times in September Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect of French national historic monuments, said that once completed the cathedral would be “luminous”.

The peel-off material is similar to the Arte Mundit product that was used controversially in a restoration of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London 20 years ago, although The Art Newspaper reported it does not include the EDTA or harmful ammonia that is often mixed in with latex as a stabilizer.

Image: David Bordes, via Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris/Facebook

The “shock” described by the restoration's leader, French Army General Jean-Louis Georgelin, that comes after its removal could prove too much for hardcore originalists, combing with equally derided LED lighting and other new age interior features designed by Father Gilles Drouin to create a Disney-like atmosphere they claim is a distortion of the 850-year-old relic and the Catholic tradition.

Image: David Bordes, via Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris/Facebook

“The really important questions in restoration are not, in essence, technical, they are aesthetic and historic and artistic,” ArtWatch UK director Michael Daly told The Times. “The quest...

France’s Culture Ministry says Notre-Dame is still on track to reopen in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics

2022-08-02T15:57:00-04:00

French President Emmanuel Macron’s vow to reopen Notre-Dame in time for Paris’ turn as host of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games still appears to be on track after France’s Minister of Culture Rima Abdul-Malak said her office was “quite confident” in the reconstruction’s progress.

Abdul-Malak was on hand for a site inspection over the weekend alongside Phillipe Villeneuve, the chief architect of the country’s cultural monuments. The two were in Paris to inspect the recently-completed clean-up of the 859-year-old structure’s interior worship spaces, which they say represents a turning point towards the overall project’s accelerated completion.

The question is how much of the heavily-damaged cathedral will be restored and reopened to the public in time for the 2024 date set by Abdul-Malak. The controversial interior segment of the second phase of reconstruction finally began in September after lockdown-related delays and is to be followed by the replica spire’s reinstallati...

Archaeologists have uncovered a 14th-century sarcophagus underneath Notre Dame Cathedral

2022-03-23T08:30:00-04:00

A pre-construction archaeology dig meant to prepare a critical segment of the reconstructed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has led to the discovery of a lead sarcophagus and several small tombs according to an announcement from the French Ministry of Culture.

The discovery was unearthed directly beneath the 859-year-old cathedral’s transept floor and is thought to contain the remains of a key religious figure dating to the 14th century, which is around the time when Notre Dame’s apse was constructed.

The findings were of “remarkable scientific quality” according to France’s culture minister Roselyne Bachelot. Workers who made the discovery were preparing to install scaffolding at the location for the soon-to-begin historically-accurate re-creation of the church’s spire, which has been promised by the Macron government to be completed in time for the 2024 Olympics.

Several tombs and a leaden sarcophagus l...

Notre Dame gets the green light from French officials for controversial interior refurbishment ahead of 2024

2021-12-10T20:41:00-05:00

France’s National Heritage and Architecture Commission approved proposals by the diocese of Paris to bring a more modern look to Notre-Dame before its planned reopening in 2024, including the installation of contemporary artworks and new lighting effects. Opponents say the changes will debase the 850-year-old cathedral and disturb the harmony of its Gothic design.

The controversial refurbishment struck a chord with many in the past two weeks who responded to publicized details with claims that the new ecumenical design authored by Father Gilles Drouin was sacrilegious, and incongruous with the Catholic tradition.

Much of the church's nave, transept, and high altar were damaged as a result of the roof collapse and are now set to be reborn in a scheme that includes light projections and other tech-laden interventions.

“Don’t think we’re going to make Disneyland,” Notre-Dame’s Rector Patrick Chauvet told the New York Times. “The church is 2,000 years old — it is an old lady,” he said. “It has a history that we must respect, that today’s people cannot erase with a stroke of the pen.”

The Catholic Church's plans for the reimagined Notre-Dame de Paris interior are drawing sharp criticism online

2021-12-03T14:50:00-05:00

Will the fire-ravaged interior of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris be more like Disneyland than France’s most emblematic place of worship when it reopens after a major restoration? So fear the outraged critics of a new interior design for the monument which was presented during a video conference earlier this year.

Father Gilles Drouin is the man behind the new interiors, which he says are meant to respond to the multicultural visitorship that was originally not taken into consideration by the church, which spoke to a largely Christian audience before the fire.

Critics have panned Drouin’s vision, objecting not only to the ecumenical content but also its delivery via seemingly tacky digital projections and other forms of tech-heavy interventions meant to engender a network of “emotional spaces.”

“It’s Notre-Dame de Paris turned into Disneyland,” architect Maurice Culot told TAN. “It does not make any sense, we are rebuilding the cathedral and the spire as it was, with ancient materials like stone, wood and lead, and now we’ll have a theme park for foreign tourists inside. Why wasn’t the design entrusted to the same architects to maintain unity between the inside and outsid...

Notre Dame cathedral is now secure enough to start the rebuilding process, potentially in time for 2024 Summer Olympics

2021-09-22T17:07:00-04:00

Two and a half years after a fire ravaged the centuries-old Cathedral of Notre-Dame in the heart of Paris, the building has been secured enough to start the rebuilding process, which is expected to be completed in 2024, according to the French authorities.

The news was announced last weekend in a statement on Facebook by Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, the public body responsible for the conservation and restoration of the 850-year-old cathedral. This milestone and expected timeline meets French President Emmanuel Macron’s five-year plan to reopen the landmark, which would be in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

“We’re officially saying that the cathedral is now saved, that it’s solid on its pillars, that its walls are solid, everything is holding together,” Jean-Louis Georgelin, the head of Rebâtir Notre-Dame, told the French news outlet BFM TV.

Previously on Archinect: Not so fast: Following the Notre Dame Cathedral fire, heritage experts respond to Macron's ambitious five-year restoration deadline

According to Artnet News, this phase involved reinforcing the cathedral’s flying buttresses, protecting its gargoyles, and removing approximately 40,000 pieces of damaged scaffolding that had been in place for spire restoration at...

The Catholic University of America is constructing a replica of a Notre Dame roof truss using medieval techniques

2021-07-26T18:48:00-04:00

Starting today, the Catholic University of America’s School of Architecture and Planning in collaboration with Massachusetts-based nonprofit Handhouse Studio are building a full-scale replica of a truss that belonged to the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

As part of a teaching project by Handhouse Studio, which is setting up education workshops in Washington D.C., the approximately 45-foot by 35-foot structure, labeled as Truss #6, will be built outdoors at The Catholic University’s campus in a 10-day workshop. The construction process will be available for public viewing.

Roof truss demonstration for the Gwozdziec Synagogue in Sanok, Poland. Photo: Handshouse Studio

A team of traditional timber framers, carpenters, faculty, and students from across the United States will use the methods and materials of the original medieval builders. The reconstruction is intended to be a gift to France and the collective effort to rebuild Notre Dame following the 2019 fire that destroyed the cath...

Notre Dame Cathedral appeals for additional funding as work begins to restore the church's interior

2021-06-17T13:03:00-04:00

The Parisian Archdiocese responsible for the custodianship and refurbishment of Notre Dame Cathedral is issuing an appeal for more donations after an initial push of nearly $1 billion following the devastating 2019 fire and partial collapse that captured the hearts of Catholics and culture lovers worldwide.

The church is now asking for an additional $6 to $7 million to fund the renovation of Notre Dame’s interior, which was made ineligible to receive any of the original gift following a ruling by a French court that limited use of donations to the restoration of the building’s structure and 12th-century facade.

The Archdiocese is seeking to make improvements aimed at modernizing the cathedral while at the same time conserving some of its sacred monuments in an effort to return the popular tourist destination to its original function as a place of worship and religious pilgrimage.

The Cathedral's interior before the 2019 fire. Photo: Flickr user bvi4092.

The four-part plan will start ...

Hundreds of ancient oaks needed to rebuild Notre Dame spire

2021-02-17T13:22:00-05:00

French experts are combing the country’s forests for centuries-old oaks to rebuild the Notre Dame spire that was destroyed by fire. [...] Last July, Macron announced the spire would be reconstructed exactly as it was. This is expected to require up to 1,000 oaks aged between 150 and 200 years old.

Rebuilding the fire-damaged Gothic cathedral hasn't been easy: construction crews were impacted by COVID-19 safety measures, and since French President Macron decided to ditch the modern spire and restore it to its "last known visual state" based on Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's 19th-century design, finding the right wood fit for a historic structure is a logistical challenge.

According to The Guardian, the oaks must be "straight, 50-90 cm (20-36 in) in diameter and between 8 and 14 metres tall. They must be chopped down by the end of March before the sap rises, otherwise the wood will be too humid. Before being cut into beams, the trunks will be allowed to dry for up to 18 months."

Canada offers homegrown softwood lumber and steel for Notre Dame Cathedral reconstruction

2020-07-15T11:39:00-04:00

Canada is offering homegrown softwood lumber and steel to help with the reconstruction of Paris’s famed Notre Dame Cathedral, which was partially destroyed by fire in mid-April. In a letter sent to French President Emmanuel Macron this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was proud to support France in the reconstruction of the iconic monument.

According to Global News, the Canadian Steel Producers Association and the Forest Products Association of Canada have already indicated their support for the Canadian government's initiative.

Notre-Dame cathedral: modern spire now off the table

2020-07-13T15:25:00-04:00

President Emmanuel Macron of France on Thursday dropped the unpopular idea of building a modern spire atop a restored Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, a possibility he had floated after a devastating fire sent the previous spire crashing through the roof. [...] But the idea of a modern spire never caught on with critics or with public opinion, and Mr. Macron never committed to it.

French President Macron's decision to let go of his long-championed vision of a contemporary spire for the fire-damaged Gothic cathedral comes one year after the French senate passed a bill approving the government's restoration plan under the condition that Notre Dame be restored to its "last known visual state" — including the 19th-century spire design by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.

Architectural proposals for contemporary spires and novel construction methods quickly emerged after the devastating April '19 blaze, including plans to 3D-print the lost spire with its ashes.

This won't close the lid on the controversies surrounding the rebuilding efforts though as other issues remain debated, including the choice of construction materials. "The conservative restoration means that timber and lead will be used for the framework and the roofing, foregoing the opportunity to use safer, more sophisticated m...

Mark Foster Gage on Gothic architecture past and present

2020-05-19T14:01:00-04:00

Little over a year ago the world nearly lost one of its most recognizable examples of Gothic architecture, as the spire and a sizeable part of the roof of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris burned to ashes. Now the debate carries on about what to do with the damaged building. [...] What does it mean to be "Gothic" anyway? If something is Gothic can it also be contemporary? For such questions we need a little background.

Highlighting the one year anniversary of the disastrous fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, architect Mark Foster Gage takes us on a quick history of Gothic architecture in order to tease out the lessons this historical style can lend to contemporary architectural design.

Artist says Notre Dame spire competition has stalled

2020-05-06T14:59:00-04:00

The Belgian artist Wim Delvoye says that officials at Notre Dame cathedral, which was destroyed in a fire in April last year, have so far snubbed his proposal to rebuild the spire of the gutted medieval landmark. “The longer the French wait to decide—or to start a competition—the more they will need to rely on my technique and design [involving] laser-cut Corten steel,” he says. “They are going to discuss [the spire design] for ten years.”

According to The Art Newspaper, the National Commission for Architecture and Heritage is due to give its recommendations relating to the spire to the Ministry of Culture later this year and a decision on the final design is expected to come next year.

Late last month, the Notre Dame construction site reopened to allow a management team to plan the return of employees early this month. Beginning May 4th, around 50 construction workers were expected to have returned to work to continue the removal of the structure's scaffolding and to continue work that was halted due to the coronavirus shutdown.

Notre Dame jobsite prepares to reopen in early May

2020-04-24T11:43:00-04:00

Notre Dame's construction site is to reopen Monday (27 April) to allow a management team to start planning the return of employees in early May...The move begins ahead of France's gradual easing of lockdown, amid the coronavirus pandemic, from 11 May. Barriers surrounding the cathedral will be removed to allow around ten people, including the lead architect Philippe Villeneuve and company representatives involved in the restoration, to enter its base camp.

According to The Art Newspaper, the team will begin organizing the return of about 50 construction workers beginning May 4th with the goal of having all cranes removed by that day. Workers will return to dismantling the structure's expansive scaffolding also, a job that was stopped in March due to COVID-19, The Art Newspaper reports.

Notre Dame: one year after the fire

2020-04-15T14:10:00-04:00

It has been a year to the day since a fire devastated the Notre Dame cathedral, causing its spire to collapse and leaving the 850-year-old church's future in doubt. [...] But with the coronavirus shutdown bringing restoration efforts to a standstill -- and the country's attention now focused elsewhere -- the somber anniversary is set to pass with little fanfare.

Click here to catch up with Archinect's complete coverage that followed the devastating news of the Notre Dame blaze on April 15, 2019.

#notredame #paris #incendie #désastre pic.twitter.com/jpNosqFGGp
— Kinsley Laurence (@KinsleyLaurence) April 15, 2019

The moment the cathedral's spire collapsed

Notre Dame: crews begin to carefully cut away fused scaffolding

2019-12-30T20:05:00-05:00

The restoration of the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, which was badly damaged by fire on 15 April, has entered a new and delicate phase. This involves removing a vast and heavy scaffolding structure at roof level that became fused by the intense heat. It had been erected before the fire in order to carry out restoration work on the 19th-century roof spire, whose dramatic collapse was seen on screens around the world.

For The Art Newspaper, architect Francesco Bandarin gives a detailed account of the crucial next step in the efforts to restore the fire-damaged cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.

"The removal of the scaffolding requires three levels of steel beams to be positioned around its exterior to form a stabilising 'belt,'" Bandarin explains this next phase which is scheduled to take until April.

Tensions with Notre Dame cathedral's chief architect heat up over reconstruction plans

2019-11-24T09:00:00-05:00

A public dispute has arisen between the French officials in charge of the reconstruction of the fire-damaged Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who is President Emmanuel Macron's special representative on the project, stunned MPs by insulting the chief architect in charge of the cathedral, telling him “to shut his big mouth” in front of the National Assembly’s cultural commission.

Plans to restore the damaged spire of the historic Notre Dame Cathedral are well underway months after a tragic fired ravaged the Cathedral. However, conflict is brewing between General Jean-Louis Georgelin and Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect put in charge of the Cathedral.

The conflict stems over the issue of either removing the historic spire entirely or simply restoring it in place. According to Vincent Noce of The Art Newspaper, "Villeneuve, threatened to resign last month if the spire that was destroyed in April's fire were not reconstructed in its original form. 'I will restore it identically, and it will be me, or they will build a modern spire, and it won't be me,' Villeneuve said during a broadcast interview."

The debate over how the spire should be restored has caused many reactions from the public. Many seek to protect the Cathedral's historic structural integrity, while others are pushing for visible changes to symbolize the Cathedrals "rebirth" after the fire....

Notre Dame rebuilding plan gains detail, nuance

2019-08-20T11:00:00-04:00

The law has created a new agency with vast and wide-ranging powers to be in charge of coordinating and managing the entire operation. It will also receive all the funds raised by national and international subscriptions; manage all work to the immediate surroundings of the cathedral; establish training programmes for the restorers; [and] implement information programmes to educate the public about the conservation process.

More details regarding the laws and governing structure that will oversee the reconstruction of the Norte Dame Cathedral in Paris have come to light.

According to The Art Newspaper, French president Emmanuel Macron will be the sole official in charge of the rebuilding. Macron, according to the report, will “directly and indirectly control all phases of an operation that would normally be the remit of the ministry of culture.”

The new law will also create a wide-ranging agency that will coordinate the restoration. Much of that coordination will take root through the work of a new government agency created for the task that includes representatives of the French government, the City of Paris, and the Catholic Church. The body, led by “battle-hardened” General Jean-Louis Georgelin who will report directly to president Macron.

Charred timber pavilion proposed as temporary Notre Dame replacement

2019-08-01T18:18:00-04:00

Global architecture firm Gensler has unveiled designs for a charred timber prayer pavilion to be used while the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is underway.

The unsolicited proposal deploys Shou Sugi Ban-style charred timber structural trusses to shape a nave "replicated to the same dimensions as Notre-Dame to ensure familiarity," according to a project website. The proposal includes a roof constructed out of ETFE cushions and walls built from translucent polycarbonate.

The pavilion's charred timber trusses are designed to create a space with the same dimensions as Notre Dame's central nave. Image courtesy of Gensler.

As designed, the pavilion would be located in Parvis Square, the plaza fronting the cathedral that burned tragically in April 2019. One end of the long, rectangular nave opens up to the front elevation of Notre Dame and is aligned up with the centerline of the cathedral, according to renderings. The structure is envisioned as a multi-use space that can p...

How Notre Dame was almost totally lost

2019-07-17T15:20:00-04:00

Some of what went wrong that night has been reported in the French news media, including Le Monde and Le Canard Enchaîné. Now, The New York Times conducted scores of interviews and reviewed hundreds of documents to reconstruct the missteps—and the battle that saved Notre-Dame in the first four critical hours after the blaze began. What became clear is just how close the cathedral came to collapsing.

A stunning visual report from The New York Times lays out a chain of events chronicling the heart-wrenching battle to save Notre-Dame cathedral as it burned uncontrollably on April 15, 2019.

The article points to several key lapses in the design of the cathedral's fire safety systems that ultimately allowed the fire to rage unimpeded for nearly an hour before fire fighting efforts got underway.

The report, for example, highlights the convoluted design of Notre-Dame's high-tech fire warning system as contributing to the delay.

Glenn Corbett, associate professor of fire science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, told The New York Times, “You have a system that is known for its ability to detect very small quantities of smoke. Yet the whole outcome of it is this clumsy human response." Corbett added, "You can spend a lot to detect a fire, but it all goes down the drain when you don’t move on it.”

In addition, the report notes that the church's roof timbers—400-year...

Shigeru Ban pitches paper tube chapel as temporary Notre Dame replacement

2019-07-10T12:31:00-04:00

La Croix International reports that Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has proposed a temporary chapel to be used for gatherings and religious services in the forecourt of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris while the iconic structure is restored.

The cathedral burned in April 2019, and its future has been the subject of much speculation in the ensuing months as a series of outlandish and conflicting proposals and reconstruction efforts have taken shape.

While not formally approved, Ban's chapel would be made up of wood-wrapped recycled shipping containers and tall paper tubes tied together with wooden trusses and rope. Together, the elements would create a nave capable of holding dozens of people at at time.

The temporary pavilion would be built out of wood-wrapped recycled shipping containers and paper tube columns. Image courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects.

The vision has not been without controversy, of course. Patrick Bouchain, a French designer who has helped other major cultural insti...

Notre Dame walls could collapse without immediate structural support, new report warns

2019-05-22T14:58:00-04:00

Notre Dame is not stable and urgently needs reinforcing. [...] The collapse of a part of the vaults has severely reduced the safety of its structural system, which, in the case of a Gothic cathedral, does not rely on the heavy mass of the walls, as in classical architecture, but on discharging weight through clustered columns, external flying buttresses and counter-supports—a structural “exoskeleton” that until now has been extremely effective and resilient.

A new assessment of the Gothic cathedral's structural system after the devastating April 15 fire shows that the stability has been severely weakened by various factors and warns that the walls could now fail to withstand strong wind gusts.

The morning after the incident: Notre Dame's spire is gone and the roof partially collapsed. Photo: Pierre Yves Beaudouin/Wikipedia.

"Paolo Vannucci, a mechanical engineer at the University of Versailles, has modelled the engineering of the structure," reports The Art Newspaper, "and shown that the walls of Notre Dame could collapse under the pressure of wind speeds higher than 90km per hour, while before the fire they could withstand winds of up to 220km per hour, so they urgently need temporary supports."