Notre Dame Burned / April 15, 2019
On the evening of 15 April 2019 a fire broke out beneath the roof of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris. By the time the fire was extinguished, the building's spire had collapsed, most of its roof had been destroyed and its upper walls were severely damaged. The wooden roof trusses, known as “la forêt”, were all destroyed.
Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the most widely recognized symbols of France and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.
La Forêt / 2019
The wooden framework of the roof hidden above the cathedral vaulting is known as “la forêt” (the forest) because of the 1300 oak trees needed for its construction. On July 29, 2019, the French National Assembly enacted a law requiring that the restoration must preserve the cathedral's “historic, artistic and architectural interest.” On March 25, 2021, the National Commission unanimously voted to rebuild the nave and choir roof framing identically to 13th century. The oldest portion of “la forêt” will be built using medieval tools and practices.
Charpentiers sans Frontières / 2020
In the summer of 2020, Charpentiers sans Frontières (Carpenters Without Borders), a French organization that brings together carpenters from around the world to preserve traditional buildings and the cultural heritage, built and raised a full scale reconstruction of Notre Dame de Paris’ “Truss # 7”. They demonstrated to the French community that rebuilding “la forêt” using the traditional methods of the original builders is still possible today.