Rebuilding Notre Dame

Disney Fairytale to Construction Site

A centuries old symbol of Paris that has played a role in Disney films, romantic stories and the backdrop for many major events in French history, now stands behind a fence surrounded by cranes and construction equipment. 


When I approached the site of Notre-Dame de Paris I wasn't sure what to expect. In 2019 a huge fire gutted what was the most popular tourist attraction in Paris and left it a smouldering ruin. Since then work has been on going to restore it but this has clearly been a long and difficult process. I was very relieved to find that the postcard facade with the large circular window and two towers either side remains largely intact. Unfortunately, due to the scale of the rebuild a large fence has been erected and it is impossible to get any closer than the square at the front of the building. Even despite the damage, Notre Dame is still an impressive site and in the evening sun provides a beautiful spot to end a walk around Paris.



Thankfully, most of the external structure of Notre Dame survived the fire relatively intact however the roof and spire were completely destroyed and the plan to restore the historic building has been surrounded with controversy.


New technology or Old?

The main debate surrounding the reconstruction and the main question that the engineers need to answer is, should Notre Dame be restored as accurately as possible to its historic condition before the fire or should it be remade using modern techniques which could help the place survive better into the future and provide a better experience for visitors. 


Both sides present solid arguments. Proponents of a historically accurate restoration argue that the building should be as authentic as possible to return it to the condition it has been in for hundreds of years and that future generations should be able to have the opportunity to see Notre Dame in the same way that people saw it during the many historical events that have happened there through history. They also argue that using original building techniques will provide opportunities for tradespeople and artisans to learn these skills and preserve them for the future.

The pro-modernisation argument focuses on the three areas. The first is that modern building techniques are better than those used in the past thanks to a better understanding of physics and materials science. This will allow for a construction that is more resistant to other future problems and improve safety and include fire prevention methods. Modernising Notre Dame will also allow for an improved visitor experience. By installing updated lighting, sound systems and the possibility of projection technology the visitor experience for Notre Dame could be made truly magical. The final reason for modernising is environmental. The original roof and spire of the building was covered in large amounts of toxic lead, when the roof collapsed in the fire the lead dust was dispirsed into the air and became a major respiratory hazard to those nearby. In addition, to provide the necessary amount of timber for the original style rebuild, 1000 oak trees will need to be cut down which causes a major loss of trees to forests across France.

In my view, I believe that modern building practises and materials should be used for the key structural areas but to achieve an appearance exactly as before. However, I don't believe that other technology should be incorporated to improve the visitor experience. This could detract from the historic significance of the building.

But what do you think?

Currently the French government are planning on a traditional and historically accurate reconstruction with original materials, aiming to be open to the public by the 2024 Olympic games.

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