|

Notre-Dame Spire is Being Rebuilt According to Original 19th Century Designs After Collapsing From the 2019 Fire

ByMyProperty Life
Notre Dame Fire

The 2019 fire raged after construction sparked destruction. (Photo: Wandrille de Préville via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

In April 2019, the world watched in horror as the roof of Paris’s famous Notre-Dame cathedral was consumed by flames. Racing up the spire despite the best efforts of countless firefighters, the flames engulfed the iconic spire, which came crashing down onto the lead roof. Much of the roof was consumed, many of the treasures inside destroyed, and the damage extensive. Yet this symbolic heart of Paris is being rebuilt with heaps of money and exponential care. Among the most critical steps was the rebuilding of the spire, a process that is currently ongoing offsite in the French countryside.

The original spire was a 19th-century addition to the medieval church. Created by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, it rose an impressive 96 meters (314.9 feet) high. It replaced an older version. The 19th-century spire contained a whopping 500 tons of wood and 250 tons of lead. For now, the rebuilding team is beginning with the wood—the central structure of the spire.

Read another article:Design Trends for Creating a Vacation Vibe at Home

In Briey, France, a confluence of experts and builders are recreating the central shaft using Eugene Viollet-le-Duc’s original plans. Two hundred and eighty-six pieces must be carved to fit together and then lowered into place. Each is made of fine oak, much of which has been donated by private landowners and public lands. The last piece was recently placed. “It will be exactly the same as it was by Viollet-le-Duc,” French Army Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, who leads the effort, informed CBS News. “But we do that with the means of our time: We use computers… We have probably less genius, but more calculation, more certainty by using computers.”

A project architect Axelle Ponsonnet expressed her excitement at the spire’s recreation: “It’s not only the famous part of it. Of course, I’m extremely proud to be part of this team and to rebuild Notre-Dame. But it’s also a very interesting project because it’s a very complex structure and today we are never building such structures, and what’s amazing is that we are really trying to be very specific in the way we rebuild it.” Visitors will be able to see this success for themselves in 2024 when the cathedral reopens to the public.

Notre-Dame has been closed since the devastating 2019 fire destroyed the spire and much of the roof.

Visualization of Notre-Dame's spire to be rebuiltVisualization of Notre-Dame's spire to be rebuilt

The portions of the roof and spire destroyed by fire. (Photo: Umbricht via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

The spire is being recreated from fine oak using the original 19th-century designs.

Notre Dame’s Spire Collapsed in Fire, Now It Rises AgainNotre Dame’s Spire Collapsed in Fire, Now It Rises Again
Read another article:Hot Trends: 20 Best Farmhouse Style Kitchens in White and Wood

Notre Dame before the 2019 fire, with its spire standing tall. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

Learn more about the restoration of France’s true heart.

[embedded content]

h/t: [Good News Network]

Related Articles:

Read another article:Revamped Small Barcelona Apartment Combines Multiple Styles and Finishes

5 Awe-Inspiring Gothic Cathedrals That Celebrate the Flamboyant Architectural Style

Notre-Dame in Art: How the Medieval Cathedral Has Enchanted Artists for Centuries

Medieval Human-Shaped Lead Sarcophagus and More Found Under Notre-Dame Cathedral

15 Beautiful Cathedrals Around the World That Are Full of History and Spirituality

Similar Posts

  • In the Heart of Greenwich Village: Small and Space-Savvy New York City Loft

    If you are accustomed to a whole lot of space, then 1200 square feet does not feel like much. But in most cities across the world, this is ample space for a lovely little apartment. In heart of New York City, it can be even termed as a luxury! Nestled in Greenwich Village, this revamped […]

    You’re reading In the Heart of Greenwich Village: Small and Space-Savvy New York City Loft, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • House LV1 (house nanchi 1 y 2)

    CASA LV1 (casa nanchi 1 y 2)
    BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION
    The Casa LV1 (casa nanchi 1 and 2), is a multi-familiar conformed by two houses constructed in the same land, the main material used for its construction was white striated concrete.
    DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY
    The Casa LV1 (casa nanchi 1 and 2) is a complex of two houses designed for a family an elderly couple, their young daughter and their granddaughter. Each house has the necessary privacy for each development, with the interrelationship and coexistence of the family; they are located in an irregular diamond-shaped land of approximately 250m2, a gradient over 10% with a view to the southeast.
    The Casa nanchi 1, on its main floor has: living room, dinning room, kitchen, bathroom, main bedroom with closet and its own bathroom, this floor is directly connected with the service area; the lower floor has a hall, two bedrooms with closet and its own bathroom; the upper floor has a roofed recreation room and a garden terrace. All the floors are connected by a stair, and has a parking lot. The total constructed surface is of 160 m2.
    The Casa nanchi 2 has on its main floor: living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and service area; on the upper floor it has: main bedroom with closet and its own bathroom, an additional bedroom with closet, a little play room and a bathroom; on the lower floor, where the entrance is, has: two parking lots and an exterior stair which is connected to the other floors. The total constructed surface of the house is 145 m2 excluding parking lots.
    Both houses share main entrance, service yard, green spaces and services.
    The houses are named after the nanchi tree (byrosonimacrassifolia) that is located in that land; it was respected and the project was adapted around it, to make it a natural decoration for the dinning room of the Casa nanchi 1. This house was designed for an elderly couple and it has a terrace in the upper floor, which is a recreational and relaxing space with a view of the surroundings to enjoy with the company of family, friends and guests. It has a double-height space which allows the development of the tree.
    The design of the Casa nanchi 2, which was designed for the daughter and granddaughter of the family, is inspired in the Brno chair, designed by the architect Ludwig Mies van ser Rohe, which not only allows a large volume, but also an efficient and free structural principle because with this solution is obtained an overhang of 4.85 m with a support of 2.85 m, generating a space without any support under the construction.
    The concept of the houses is derogates no only from the connection (interior-familiar, exterior-landscape), but also from the visual freedom that people perceive before entering in the house and also in the interior of them. This is fulfilled by the volumetric integration that defined the spaces of each house, both prisms have specific substractions that allow a formal integration of the two elements; in the Casa nanchi 1 the terrace is subtracted and in the Casa nanchi 2 the parking area is subtracted, transforming both elements without losing its integrity.
    The connection of both houses is so important that is not only achieved materially with the union of the two architectonic objects from the common entrance, connotating the link of the family, but also with the landscape, through the transparency in the facade of the two houses, which creates a visual freedom for the inhabitants. This gives a greater illumination of the spaces, producing a feeling of spaciousness and allows the air circulation due to the large windows that are handled by the users.
    The material, white striated exposed concrete and stone dust of the region, recalls the honesty of the materials, this simplicity benefits the environment, because it doesn’t use coatings in walls, fooors or roofs, contributing the less possible to the pollution. The exposed finishes means less production, transportation and utilization of pollutant materials. As said before, the free circulation of air allows a constant cleaning of the interior air which allows a natural regulation of the temperature, achieving termic comfort for the users and reducing the use of electronic devices that cools artificially the place. Besides, the same large windows avoid the unnecessary use of artificial illumination during the day allowing the entrance of sunlight in the morning.