Kitz Forum
Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: Weaver on April 16, 2019, 11:40:09 AM
-
Watched the fire in horror yesterday. Only recently I was wishing to visit. I also wanted to see the inscription on the Pilier des nautes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillar_of_the_Boatmen). This desire was sparked by a course on Continental Celtic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Celtic_languages) which I took some years ago.
-
Very sad. :( I've been fortunate to have visited more than once.
It's not something that you have to be religiously involved in to appreciate it's architecture and beautiful & peaceful grounds. I haven't checked yet to see if there is an update, but last I heard there were concerns over some of the artworks and religious relics. :'(
-
I can only hope that with the huge donations pouring in - one donor gave €100m so another then gave €200m, the oil company Total gave the fund a small fortune for example - they will be able to put things right in a timely fashion and also restore a lot of stonework that was in a very bad state. I am told that pieces of rotting stone had fallen off and were just piled up outside in mounds. Employment for craftsmen in their hundreds I just hope. I was told that York Minster could not have a stone vaulted roof as Notre Dame because it is too big a gap to span.
-
I was hearing today that one of the issues will be what to restore it to. The original building was started nearly 1000 years ago, but numerous changes have taken place over the centuries, and virtually the entire facade as we know it was constructed in the 19th century.
-
I have seen a few photos on the news today, taken inside. What surprises me in a “glass half full” way is, how much remains. I hope, in reallity, it is as good as it looks in the photos I found online. And if so, all credit to the original architects and designers then, for such a robust and resilient design. :)
A hypothetical topic, for separate debate, would be a comparison with a modern structure designed using cad software, configured for best compromise between construction costs and fire resilience. My money would be on the medieval architects, vs cad software. :)
-
Another problem would be to get the massive Oak beams needed to construct the roof.
I have built into my 'self built house' beams from 'Sailing ships' , 'Churches' , 'Chapels', 'Derby Railway station' , 'Railway work shops' , 'Pubs' , 'gate posts', and some 6"x6" oak that my father used to shore up the basement as an air raid shelter during WW2 in a house in Derby. ;D
-
I am in no way religious, but I love the sheer size of cathedrals, the architecture and history.
As roseway has said its been altered many times in its history, and given the reported difficulties in getting large enough oak beams I do wonder if it would be more appropriate to use the modern equivalent such as glulam beams presuming they are up to the job. That way it still evolves as it has done for hundreds of years.
Edited correct auto correct.
-
On BBC, they interviewed some of the people involved in rebuilding York Minster after the 1984 fire, in which the roof also collapsed. Their opinion seemed to be that it should be quite possible to restore Notre Dame pretty much as it was. They made the point that somebody visiting York today might never know the fire had ever happened.
That’s not to say it will be easy, or that it will be cheap, but the impression I got was it should certainly be achievable. It’s also not to say I won’t be hugely impressed. :)