7/18/2023 0 Comments Rising spire![]() And this is a part of authenticity, spiritual authenticity of the cathedral.īEARDSLEY: When Notre Dame's spire collapsed on the night of April 15, 2019, it left a gaping hole in the cathedral's roof at the crossing of the nave and transept.īEARDSLEY: The first step to rebuilding it was to erect the spire's base, known as the tabouret, which supports its 500-ton weight. MOUTON: If we don't rebuild it as it was, we would break down the unity - architectural unity of the monument. He says at first the intricate wooden tower was controversial, but soon it and other 19th-century additions like the gargoyles came to represent not only the cathedral but the spirit and identity of Paris and of France. The original was built in 1859, following a 20-year restoration of the cathedral carried out by Viollet-le-Duc.īENJAMIN MOUTON: The spire was a masterpiece of carpentry, something very, very few examples in the world was possible to see.īEARDSLEY: That's Benjamin Mouton, former chief architect and custodian of Notre Dame. VAN BERKEL: But mostly, I'm really grateful for this opportunity because it's just amazing and really exceptional, and it's a kind of work once in a lifetime, so.īEARDSLEY: Massive logs are being milled for the spire. I feel a little bit proud, I will say.īEARDSLEY: Erik Van Berkel is one of the craftsmen recreating the spire. Four architecture firms that are usually stiff competitors joined together to replicate the 19th-century spire designed by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc and considered a work of beauty and genius.ĮRIK VAN BERKEL: Yeah, absolutely. There was initial talk of holding a competition to design a brand-new spire for Notre Dame, but as NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports, it will be rebuilt exactly as it used to be.ĮLEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: In a vast warehouse in eastern France, dozens of carpenters work on Notre Dame's new spire, being crafted from 2,500 oak trees from across France. When the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire four years ago, one of the most shocking moments was the collapse of its spire in flames.
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