After the roof and spire of Notre Dame were damaged in a fire in April, French president, Emmanuel Macron, said he was open to a “contemporary gesture” in rebuilding. Now, an architecture firm has proposed replacing the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral with a rooftop pool, as France launches an international competition to restore the iconic building to its former glory.
Rather than topping Notre Dame with a park, as several designers have suggested, Stockholm studio Ulf Mejergren Architects have suggested a public rooftop pool.
The open-air pool, which would have “unmatched views over Paris”, would be surrounded by the 12 statues of the apostles that were removed from the roof before the fire.
“Our addition is a complementary spatial experience to the building that will match the awe of the great interior; a space for thinking and self-reflection,” says the studio.
This is only one of a number of ideas that have been put forward thus far.
The award-winning architect Vincent Callebaut has submitted his innovative designs for the rebuild of the famous cathedral, which would transform it into a modern, eco-friendly building.
As reported by The Guardian, Florian Renucci, a master mason at the experimental medieval building site at Guédelon in Burgundy, believes Notre Dame should be – and can be – restored as it was.
“The restoration of Notre Dame should respect the techniques of the era in which it was built, with respect for the overall gothic harmony that comes from a combination of the humans who built it and the materials they used, stone, wood, iron and glass,” Renucci told The Guardian. “We must respect the spirit of the that work. The gothic period was a high point in architecture … if we do it right it will last another 1,000 years,” he went on to say.
Other proposals include turning the rooftop into a giant greenhouse and a light-absorbing crystal glass spire.