Notre Dame’s Critical State: A Visual Guide The famed cathedral remains in danger after last year’s fire, and now the pandemic has paused restoration
https://www.wsj.com/graphics/notre-dame-fix/?mod=article_inline&mod=hp_lead_pos10
Almost a year after last April’s devastating fire, Notre Dame is still in a fragile state. Workers had been racing to stabilize the 800-year-old structure before the effort was suspended indefinitely last month due to the coronavirus pandemic, putting the project in even greater jeopardy.
The fire destroyed a section of the cathedral that acted as the linchpin of its medieval design: its roof and central spire. Like a ballast, the spire and roof pushed downward and outward on Notre Dame’s limestone walls, countering the inward pressure generated by the cathedral’s flying buttresses and massive facade.
Without the spire and roof in place, the limestone walls of Notre Dame’s nave are at risk of tilting inward and its vaulted ceiling can buckle. Already, about 15% of the ceiling collapsed during the fire and over the summer. Notre Dame’s famous flying buttresses are still pushing against the walls, but without the counterweight of the roof and spire, they are at risk of collapsing if the vaults give way. The gables are also at risk because they are no longer supported by the roof. The north gable nearly collapsed during the fire.
Water used to douse the flames created fissures in the massive stones that arc above Notre Dame’s nave, and seeped into the joints and mortar, leading to crumbling. Some of that water may have frozen over the winter, potentially weakening the structure further. The cathedral is covered in lead that melted from the roof and spire, which were made of several hundred tons of the toxic metal. Workers doing cleanup wear hazmat suits to prevent lead contamination and shower each time they leave the site. Back outside, charred scaffolding looms at the cathedral’s most vulnerable point, where the spire once rose. It had been erected for restoration efforts before the fire. Now distorted and highly unstable, it has been swaying in the wind and rain. Its collapse would be catastrophic.
Workers had started building a new scaffolding to remove the old one before the project was suspended in March. Eventually, workers known as squirrels will rappel by rope over the old scaffolding, removing it piece by piece over the course of a few months.
A giant tarpaulin has been stretched over the exposed ceiling, covering crater-like holes. The upper windows of the nave and the apse have been removed for protection. Temporary covers shield the cathedral’s famed trio of rose windows from the elements. One question remains outstanding: Should Notre Dame’s roof and spire be rebuilt as they once stood or get a makeover? The French government has fielded proposals from architects around the world, fueling debate. The goal was to have the restoration done by 2024, when Paris will be hosting the summer Olympics, but work is already behind schedule.
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