Notre Dame’s Iconic Spire Rises From The Ashes Like A Phoenix

For centuries, visitors to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris have offered up prayers. But in the wake of a devastating 2019 fire, it was the structure itself that needed a miracle.

After standing in the same spot for nearly 900 years, much of the cathedral was left in ruins, leaving considerable doubt regarding whether it would be restored within the five-year timeline promised by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Preserving the past, embracing the future

Shortly after the blaze, a debate ensued that hinged on what the cathedral would look like after it was rebuilt.

At one point, Macron suggested that a “contemporary architectural gesture” might be appropriate instead of recreating the spire that was destroyed. That proposal was quickly met with backlash, though, and plans for a wooden structure in the same style of the original soon materialized.

There will still be a bit of modernization in the rebuilt structure, however. A contest is currently underway to determine the designs for stained glass windows that will replace those lost in chapels located on the south side of Notre Dame.

There’s plenty of more work to do

Macron visited the site, which remains under heavy construction, this week. It happened to be one year to the date before the cathedral is set to reopen.

And while the frame of the spire is now visible in the Paris skyline, it’s obvious that the landmark needs significant attention before it regains its former glory.

Here’s where things stand:

• Crews have cleaned more than 450,000 square feet of smoke-stained stone
• About 500 workers, including masons, architects, and engineers, are on site daily
• Hundreds of experts are elsewhere, recreating components at their workshops

Macron personally thanked those working on the project this week, concluding: “We have seen this seemingly impossible project move forward.”

Chris Agee December 9th, 2023

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