The reconstruction of Notre-Dame is not the only answer GlobeDebate
Joseph L. Clarke is an assistant professor of architectural history at the University of Toronto and author of a forthcoming book on the history of acoustics,The Notre-Dame Cathedral is seen at sunrise on April 17, 2019, two days after sustaining major damage in a fire.Even before Monday’s fire at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris had been extinguished, French President Emmanuel Macron had already defiantly promised to lead a major reconstruction project.
Although his modifications scandalized some of his contemporaries, such changes are in no way foreign to Gothic architecture. Medieval cathedrals were often constructed and reconstructed over many generations, their architectural fabric changing bit by bit at the hands of builders with evolving standards of architectural beauty. A case in point is Chartres Cathedral, about 90 kilometres southwest of Paris.
The towers of Chartres Cathedral were originally nearly symmetrical, but after a lightning strike in 1506, the north spire was rebuilt in a more elaborate style.The historical mutability of Gothic cathedrals raises complex questions for modern restorers. In the early 20th century, art historian Alois Riegl struggled with this problem when the Austrian government sought his advice on restoring St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.
Art historian Alois Riegl consulted on the restoration of Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral, seen here.Today, when digital images can elevate a building into a powerful and universally-recognized national symbol, the reflex to answer catastrophe by building a perfect facsimile is difficult to resist. In the aftermath of 9/11, many Americans favoured replacing the Twin Towers with literal copies.
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