The artistry inside of Notre Dame was something that I’d pretty much taken for granted, until the recent fire on April 15, 2019. In fact, I’m sure most of us took it for granted up until that day. To quote my friend Leigh Bardugo, author of Shadow & Bone, Six of Crows, and King of Scars: You leave a place, certain you will return, certain it will outlive you, reassured by the permanence of stone. I didn’t realize this was a friend I would never meet again.
When my sister texted me about the fire on the morning of the 15th, I reassured her that it probably wasn’t that big of deal, because the cathedral was made of stone. I didn’t understand that the roof was made from 800 year old trees, and that the framing supporting the stone was also made from wood.
As I looked back over the photos that I’d taken on December 28th, 2018, I began to notice something telling… red fire extinguishers. They’re so easy to miss when you’re being wowed by stained glass windows and hand painted walls and ceilings. But there they were, hiding in plain sight. As it turns out, it was a well known fact that fire was a huge threat to the structure. No electrical apparatus were allowed near the roof, for fear that any spark could easily set the structure ablaze.
As I’m sure you know, money has poured in for the rebuilding of Notre Dame, totaling over $1 billion within the first week. Now the conversation has begun about how long it will take to rebuild, what the new spire should look like, and of course who should design it. I’ve seen articles online exploring high concept ideas such as repurposing the roof with a greenhouse for growing food and educating students. The previous spire was a 19th century add on, however to the untrained eye, it also appeared to be centuries old like the rest of the cathedral.
I know how progressive the French are when it comes to their architecture, particularly when viewed through the lense of history. The Eiffel Tower, completed in 1889, was built for the 1889 Worlds Fair and was not meant to be a permanent structure. It was intended to be dismantled after 20 years in 1909, when its ownership reverted back to the City of Paris. If I also remember my history correctly, it was also the first ‘undraped metal building’. Prior to this, metal only served as a support system for concrete or brick buildings. Therefore, it was quite controversial in its day, and was boycotted my many prior to its completion.
Another example of French craftsmanship is the Statue of Liberty, designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi in 1886. The original stands on Liberty Island Manhattan, in New York, and its metal framework was also built by Gustave Eiffel. Three years later in 1889, a smaller replica was given to France, by American citizens living in France, to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the French Revolution.
I go down this rabbit hole to make a point. These structures all look very old to our modern day eye, but during the time of their construction, they were forward thinking and quite avant garde. Every generation has its construction techniques and tools, as well as its favored building materials. Over the last 20 years or so, our generations biggest design tool is the computer. It will be very interesting to observe how the French choose to move forward with this process of redesign. The modernity of the I.M. Pei Pyramid certainly works in the midst of the Baroque buildings that it marries together. I can only say that I hope I live long enough to see how the story of Notre Dame turns out.
