Five proposals to restore Notre Dame's spire

After the devastating destruction of Notre Dame, the French government was quick to announce a competition to find an appropriate way to restore the historic building’s roof and spire.

Speaking to reporters upon the announcement of the competition, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the new spire should reflect the challenges and techniques of the modern era.

This certainly isn’t a new or unprecedented process. In fact, the designs of both the Sydney Opera House and Parliament House in Canberra were the results of a competition.

Over the past week, several architects and designers have submitted their visions of what they think the future of Notre Dame should look like. Here are some of the most interesting of those submissions.

Studio Fuksas

Studio Fuksas is an Italian architectural company, and this particular design comes from founders Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas. Their Notre Dame proposal includes a tall spire made to resemble famous French crystalware brand Baccarat.

Both the roof and the spire could be lit up, casting a blue glow across the cathedral. According to the Studio Fuksas website, they hope their vision “will be a beacon of hope for the future in the night of Paris”.

More recently, a Studio Fuksas design won the competition searching for the look of the new Australia Forum convention centre in Canberra.

Mathieu Lehanneur

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur’s work includes buildings but also a range of art installations and objects. He’s also been the chief designer of Huawei phones since 2015.

His provocative proposal replaces the cathedral’s original spire with a massive gold replica of the fire that engulfed it.

Speaking with Dezeen, Lehanneur said, “I love this idea of a frozen moment in the history that can remains for centuries. For me, it’s a way to capture the catastrophe and turn it into beauty, turning ephemeral into permanency.”

Vizumatelier

Slovakian studio Vizumatelier have proposed a striking design that involves a spire of light firing out of the top of the cathedral and into the sky. An Instagram post from the company describes the design as a “lightweight crown that [connects] heaven with earth”.

This isn’t pure spectacle, but rather a nod to the historical reasons Notre Dame had a spire in the first place. According to Vizumatelier, “In Gothic times builders try to reach the sky, Le Duc [tried] it also in [the 19th century]. Now it’s possible to make it happen.”

Studio NAB

Studio NAB is a French firm with architectural goals to make spaces that keep their inhabitants feeling good by putting humans at the heart of their design. 

Its proposal shows a decidedly more environmental approach, opting to convert the entire top level of the cathedral into a massive greenhouse while maintaining the original dimensions. The charred wooden remains of Notre Dame would be repurposed into planters for the various flora inhabiting its newly renovated insides. Meanwhile, the spire itself would house a series of beehives.

Godart + Roussel Architectes

This French studio proposes a large wooden spire that comes to a very pointy tip. The roof of the cathedral would be made from glass and steel, and would feature a winding walkway offering city views.

But what do Godart + Roussel Architectes think of the project of restoring Notre Dame? Well, in a rather philosophical Instagram post translated from French, the firm asks, “Would we really be satisfied with this fateful attempt at fate? What other pleasure would we find besides that of comforting us in the certainty that everything is eternal?”