The carpenters who restore the roof of Notre-Dame in Paris do so in a medieval way. Instead of power tools, they use hammers, hand axes and chisels to create the framework of the new roof. The iconic cathedral was largely destroyed in a fire four years ago.
The fire broke out around 7 p.m. on April 15, 2019. In fifteen hours a large part of the cathedral was destroyed. The two stone towers survived, but the spire collapsed. Two-thirds of the roof was also destroyed.
That roof is now being rebuilt using medieval techniques to pay tribute to the craftsmanship of the original builders. Just like then, the carpenters use oak wood.
“The goal we had was to restore the wooden frame structure that disappeared during the fire of April 15, 2019 to its original state,” says architect Remi Fromont to news agency AP.
Fromont made detailed drawings of the original frame in 2012. According to the architect, the new frame has the same structure as the 13th century framework.
Modern gadgets
Yet there are also a number of things that are different from hundreds of years ago. For example, the carpenters and architects use computers in the design to ensure that their hand-chiseled beams fit together perfectly. The framework also comes by truck from the workshop in western France to Paris and is hoisted into place with a mechanical crane.
These modern additions should ensure that the tight deadline is met: the goal is to reopen the cathedral by December 2024.
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2023-05-30 23:01:52
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