Don’t expect to see the roof of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral adorned with an infinity pool or a greenhouse filled with exotic plants in the near future.
After a fire destroyed the building’s spire and much of its roof on the evening of April 15, ideas from both professional and amateur architects and designers alike have been presented for how to restore the centuries-old building. While some have been more realistic than others, the French Senate has decided to put a stop to any theorizing of what is to come.
See Also: Notre Dame fire highlights danger of renovating historic structures
The Senate recently approved the restoration bill passed by the French Parliament, but added a clause that states the Cathedral must be rebuilt and restored to its last known visual condition. Additionally, the bill allows work on the project to be completed before the Paris Olympics begin in 2024, a timeframe that some fear is too accelerated and concerned more with politics than careful historical restoration.
Due to the changes made in the bill, the Senate and the Assemblée nationale must now come to an agreement on a version of the bill before it can become law, according to The Local, a European news site.
Related Stories
Urban Planning | Jul 26, 2023
America’s first 100% electric city shows the potential of government-industry alignment
Ithaca has turned heads with the start of its latest venture: Fully decarbonize and electrify the city by 2030.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 25, 2023
San Francisco seeks proposals for adaptive reuse of underutilized downtown office buildings
The City of San Francisco released a Request For Interest to identify office building conversions that city officials could help expedite with zoning changes, regulatory measures, and financial incentives.
Sustainability | Jul 13, 2023
Deep green retrofits: Updating old buildings to new sustainability standards
HOK’s David Weatherhead and Atenor’s Eoin Conroy discuss the challenges and opportunities of refurbishing old buildings to meet modern-day sustainability standards.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 11, 2023
Converting downtown office into multifamily residential: Let’s stop and think about this
Is the office-to-residential conversion really what’s best for our downtowns from a cultural, urban, economic perspective? Or is this silver bullet really a poison pill?
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 10, 2023
California updates building code for adaptive reuse of office, retail structures for housing
The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use. The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures.
Office Buildings | Jun 28, 2023
When office-to-residential conversion works
The cost and design challenges involved with office-to-residential conversions can be daunting; designers need to devise creative uses to fully utilize the space.
Resiliency | Jun 14, 2023
HUD offers $4.8 billion in funding for green and resilient building retrofit projects
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released guidelines for its Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) that has $4.8 billion for funding green projects.
Energy-Efficient Design | Jun 5, 2023
Implementing an ‘asset drawdown strategy’ for site decarbonization
Solidifying a decarbonization plan via an “asset drawdown strategy” that carefully considers both capital and operating costs represents a game-changing opportunity for existing properties to compete with new projects.
K-12 Schools | Jun 5, 2023
How to achieve cost-effective kindergarten classrooms
Educational architect Robin Randall shares realistic advice about the challenges of adding developmentally appropriate, play-based kindergarten classrooms while respecting budget limitations.
Reconstruction & Renovation | May 26, 2023
Boulder, Colo., puts sustainable deconstruction policy into action
Three quarters of a closed hospital’s building materials and equipment are being reused for new construction, or resold.
