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a bit of history and genius found within notre-dame wooden roof.

Home architectureart & literature & educationa bit of history and genius found within notre-dame wooden roof.

a bit of history and genius found within notre-dame wooden roof.

Apr 25, 2019 | art & literature & education, buildings, cultural & education, opinion, public space >> |
a bit of history and genius found within notre-dame wooden roof.
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above> known to many as ‘the forest’ the entire roof structure was suspended, never touching the vaulted stone ceilings.

it hasn’t taken very long to grasp that the wooden-frame roof is literally history.

the roof will never be fully restored to its former self nor is there a need. yet how many of the 13 million annual visitors have even perceived the oak beams and carpentry? DesignApplause reflects on a bit of the history and the genius.

[ the roof ]

the roof that was destroyed was the original made up of 1,300 oak trees – a number of 5,000 is often alleged. the oak trees to reach gothic height for this project were nearly 400 years old by the time they were cut. each beam supporting the 100+ yards of roof came from an individual tree. the roof was also known as ‘the forest’.

the wooden roof’s entire wooden frame sat on the stone walls, suspended over and never touching the vaulted stone ceilings. the beams were spliced together into one piece to achieve this span. the structure was impressively heavy made up of 500 tons of wood. the exterior surfaces were clad with 250 tons of lead.

though there are many revival ideas what happens next is difficult to assess. while we wait, DesignApplause ventures into eliminating restoration and winnowing options to replication — possibly via new technology — and inspiration. and if history sets precedent – the original concept has been altered each time during needed renovation – we predict inspiration will guide the way.

[ the frame / la charpente ]

editor’s note: this post will be adding commentary on the spire, the architect, and master carpenter. please stay tuned.

notre dame cathedral and the spire of viollet the duke, completed in 1859. in the foreground, the angel of the apocalypse and the alchemist philosopher.
workers at work in the notre-dame de paris frame, june 26, 2018. | ludovic marin, afp archives
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Ron Kovach

about Ron Kovach

Ron Kovach is a designer, educator and blogger. He's a past president of both The Art Institute of Chicago's Architecture & Design Society and the AIGA Chicago Chapter as well as a past chairman, 27 Chicago Designers. He's an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago and co-founder / editor of DesignApplause and Chicago Design Archive. Contact Ron via Contact/Help on this site.

view all entries by Ron Kovach.

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