The world bore witness to a tragedy on April 15, 2019, when a huge fire, the most horrific of the year so far, gutted the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
The fire first broke out on the roof and lasted for 15 hours as the world watched helplessly while the inferno eventually consumed the building. One of the starkest moments was when the nearly 900-year-old cathedral’s iconic spire collapsed in flames.
By the time the inferno was finally put out, nearly all the wood/metal roof of the structure was destroyed and only one-third of the roof remained. However, thanks to the stone-vaulted ceiling, the cathedral’s interior didn’t suffer extensive damage as the burning roof got contained as it collapsed.
French president Emmanuel Macron was quick to reassure the public that the government would do everything it could to make sure the cathedral would be restored. A fundraising campaign was quickly set up to help fund the reconstruction effort. Some of France’s richest were also quick to pledge millions of euros to the effort.
The speed at which the rich responded to help rebuild the cathedral has drawn both praise and scorn. This is because some people pointed out that if only the rich were as quick to share their wealth to reduce hunger and poverty around the world as they were to pledge for Notre Dame, the world would be a much better place now.
But whatever one’s stand on the matter is, the fact is that large sum of donations has already been collected as of April 22, 2019. One thing is for sure, there will be more than enough funds to make sure that Notre Dame cathedral will be restored to its former glory, if not better.
This is why on April 17, the French government announced plans for a design competition for a replacement spire for Notre Dame Cathedral. Reports say that French prime minister Edouard Philippe expressed hope that the redesign would give the cathedral a fresh look that would be “adapted to the techniques and the challenges of our era.”
In response, architects and designers came up with their expressions of a revived Notre Dame with a new roof and spire. The designs run the gamut from modern glass towers to Gothic-styled stained glass windows and offer a refreshing re-imagination of a timeless classic.
See examples of the designs below!
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