The Notre-Dame Cathedral is very widely known and a common tourist attraction, along with its beloved history and cultural aspect to Paris. As it is a tragedy of the fire that had happened to the cathedral, this leaves room for some open ideas to the nexts steps of rebuilding. After reading both articles, both the writers make very valid points as to why each views the rebuilding as the same gothic style or to make something new. I believe that the Notre-Dame Cathedral should have certain aspects of what made it unique, such as the beautiful stained glass windows, along with the interior have a gothic feel with modern touches to bring it to life. Also, at the rooftop of the Notre Dame Cathedral, there should be something to be interactive with the community. Whether that maybe a mini museum of what was left of the past Notre Dame Cathedral, or a café to take in the beauty of where you are the beautiful aspects of the gothic style of Notre Dame Cathedral. This enables the new generation to be more intrigued with architecture and the culture it brings.
Tag: hw2
Codey Lorenzana HW 2: Rebuilding Notre Dame
In regards to the extensive undertaking of rebuilding Notre Dame, I feel that it should be kept gothic. Before I explaining my stance, I would however like to point out and address how rebuilding the cathedral to be the same as it was before might be harder than making a new due to the full extent of damage being unknown. This combined with the fact that the stone and materials are hard to replace create quite an arduous task. But with all this being said, I simply can’t find myself agreeing with a total modernization of the architecture and design as seen in some of the concept photos. That Disney like reimagining shouldn’t be applied to something particularly rich in history; some of which is spiritual. I feel a middle ground should be met that involves keeping the gothic artistry and history of the structure while updating it in more practical hidden ways to make sure its greatly more supported for today’s world.
HW#2 : How Would You Rebuild A Gothic Church?
There was an immediate backlash against many of the ideas proposed for the Notre-Dame rebuild, especially with a modern touch and/or style. I, for one, think this is a great opportunity to link the past to the present. It is not rare in our history for structures to be damaged and have to be rebuilt which prompts someone to bring in the styles of the time. Some of the most interesting architecture in the world is a combination of multiple cultures and times coming together over the need to fix the damaged parts. There are certain designs that I would never stand for, such as Vizum Atelier’s “Lightweight Crown” which is a not only a hideous mismatch but just looks like a gaudy, glorified satellite tower that stretches up way too far, however I believe it is possible to implement certain aesthetics of the Gothic times and integrate them with modern technology and values. Take Vincent Callebaut’s “Biomimetic Forest”; with a few tweaks in the structural frame, the design could reflect a more harmonious reflection of the existing and well known architectural aesthetics while remaining a beautiful greenhouse exhibition. Even if the forest itself is seen as a distraction (which is understandable as a concern), I believe a touch of modernism would be an excellent addition, instead of holding on too tightly to the past when there’s still so much of it left in the remaining church. I do believe this harmony can be achieved with careful consideration and empathy towards the French people who see the cathedral as a symbol and want to respect the past.
