CLOSE AD ×

Reports claim fire has left Notre Dame structurally unsound, needs reinforcing

Seeking Stability

Reports claim fire has left Notre Dame structurally unsound, needs reinforcing

With distressed walls and ribbed vaults, Notre Dame could be in danger of collapse if high winds occur. Shown here: Interior of Notre Dame before the April 15, 2019 fire. (Bradley Weber/Via Flickr)

More woes have surfaced for Notre Dame. Architect and former UNESCO official Francesco Bandarin reported in The Art Newspaper that the cathedral is structurally unsound following the fire that destroyed its roof and spire this April. The architecture’s complex structural system, comprising an array of flying buttresses, columns, and counterweights, was designed to function as a cohesive whole, but after this spring’s tragic blaze, which led to a partial collapse of the vaults, the building is “not stable and urgently needs reinforcing.”

Bandarin wrote that a model, developed by engineer Paolo Vannucci at the University of Versailles, showed that Notre Dame’s walls could collapse if confronted with wind speeds over 55 mph. For reference, the cathedral could previously handle winds exceeding 130 mph.

While much focus has been given to the lost Viollet-le-Duc–designed spire (itself a 19th century reconstruction), Bandarin said Notre Dame’s most urgent need is reinforcing both the walls and rib vaults in order to support the new roof, which the French Senate just ordered to be rebuilt as close to the original as possible.


CLOSE AD ×