Notre Dame Cathedral destroyed by fire

[Tom Geiger]

agreeing with Bill,  this is the time that they should and will replace all the structural elements with modern materials to last another 800 years. They will also install modern fire detection and suppression systems.  Note that there will be the necessary funds available to do it first class, and the best engineering companies in the world competing for the honor of doing this work!

Forget the rhetoric from idiots making this a political or religious issue in the media.  Notre Dame should be rebuilt for it's architectural significance AND because it's the most visited tourist attraction in France. If you think it's beautiful from photos, it is absolutely amazing in person as it surrounds you.  I was in Paris for several vacations as a kid, since we lived in Germany right over the French border. I still have a replica gargoyle I bought from a vendor outside the cathedral.

Exhibit A-  The eighteenth century manor house at Thompson Park in Middletown, NJ.  The original land now is the park and Brookdale Community College.  A dozen years ago this house literally burned to the ground during a renovation.  Failed fire watch after hot work.   Insurance money replaced it exactly.  You'd never know this was a 12 year old building!

[OldTrucker]

Tom is correct, treat it like they do the Frank Lloyd Wright houses as a architectural land mark of great significance.

[OldTrucker]

Just from what I have heard and read though, this will be a very dangerous construction job due to severe weakening of the exterior structure.

Going to take some very experienced engineers to think and plan  this one through.

[1930fordpickup]

5 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

 

If the cathedral is returned to its original appearance, replicating the look of wooden roof structure is unnecessary, and was not my point. The wooden roof structure was not visible from inside the building. The actual ceiling that is visible is made of masonry, arch-supported hemispheres...part of which collapsed when the spire fell on it.

                                                               

The old wooden roof structure is above the ceiling, as in most buildings, and is what keeps water off of the masonry work of the ceiling proper...which, being closely-fitted stone blocks would be difficult to seal otherwise. This part of the structure is not seen from inside the main part of the building, and could be replaced with structural steel with no aesthetic considerations on the inside.

                       

                                             

Bill thank you for the better pictures. I had no idea that this was masonry work inside. The pictures I have looked at were from a friend that was there. They were not this bright and I thought it was all wood and plaster.  This is the facade I was talking about, as I know the attic is never seen by the visitors. 

[Joe Handley]

I've read recently that there have been a number of digital scans of the building in recent years for both digital preservation and video games creation and are going to be used during the repair process.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Just a thought but if those scans are good enough I wonder if it would be possible to use them to cnc the wood carvings that were destroyed in the fire.

[iamsuperdan]

I believe it's Ubisoft and their game Assassin's Creed. Somehow, it's this video game company that has the most detailed "blueprints" or schematics of Notre Dame. 

Rebuilding accurately will not be a problem. 

I don't see a problem with rebuilding using modern materials and building techniques. European churches have a history or fire, damage, rebuilds, remodels, whatever. However it is decided to rebuild, it will still be Notre Dame cathedral. 

Personally, I like the idea of rebuilding using modern composites and materials, and using the most advanced building techniques available. If they make the parts the public sees look like it always has, then does it really matter what we don't see?

[HomerS]

Twenty two years ago, I managed an office building that had a similar wood system, built in the days before sprinklers and fire walls.  Easter morning, 4am-ish (remember it well as my oldest was just two days old!), it took a direct hit from lightning and burned until the newspaper carrier saw it an called it in.  6a I got the call.  From a mile away I could see the lights from the aerial truck!  The only things left of the second floor of the building was a Steelcase desk and a file cabinet....the rest wasn't ash.....it was soot! (it burned that hot!)