Analysis: Why cathedrals are vulnerable to burning quickly and take a long time to rebuild
Two men walk in the damaged Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on April 16, 2019. By Adam Taylor and Adam Taylor Foreign reporter who writes about a variety of subjects Email Bio Follow Emily Tamkin Emily Tamkin Reporter covering foreign affairs Email Bio Follow April 16 at 2:05 PM If you were to design a building that would be particularly vulnerable to a spectacular fire, look no further than Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
“I think what people should understand is the ingenious approach by medieval builders,” said Kevin D. Murphy, a professor of art history at Vanderbilt University. “The technology of the building is not, of course, technology that we use anymore,” Murphy said. “In some cases, the actual technology has been under debate for centuries. Trying to understand how it was built is not straightforward.”
Some of the damage at St. Mels’ came from the cold water sprayed over the site by fire services to put out the blaze, causing the masonry to rapidly contract. “You could hear the stonework cracking for days afterward,” Fay said. The vast size of Notre Dame, as well as its symbolic value, will put pressure on those seeking to renovate it. The task of restoration is “hugely daunting because it’s such a huge building. It can only be daunting,” Murphy said.
Once the rebuilding takes place, there will be major decisions to be made about whether the building is remade using traditional techniques or their more modern counterparts. In some cases, the decision may be made easier by the fact that many of the older techniques are difficult to reproduce in the 21st century.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Analysis | Why Trump’s idea to send immigrants to sanctuary cities makes no senseEven if it were somehow enacted, it wouldn't address the allegedly catastrophic problems Trump warns about. In fact, it would exacerbate them.
Lire la suite »
Analysis | Why Twitter paid CEO Jack Dorsey just $1.40 last yearTwitter once limited posts to 140 characters. Last year, it paid its CEO a symbolic amount with a wink that former limit.
Lire la suite »
Analysis | Why some world leaders keep getting reelected and others fail almost immediatelyAnalysis: Why some world leaders keep getting reelected and others fail almost immediately
Lire la suite »
Analysis | Why House Democrats’ budget drama could portend a larger problem for the partyAre Democrats too liberal for America? Not liberal enough? This week's spending bill drama brought all those questions to the fore.
Lire la suite »
Analysis | Why can’t Betsy DeVos give a direct answer to a direct question?Analysis: Why can’t Betsy DeVos give a direct answer to a direct question?
Lire la suite »
Analysis | Why Trump’s non-answer on Julian Assange is so inexplicableTrump praised WikiLeaks in 2016 for its disclosures of Democratic emails. But he once called the 2010 leaks for which Assange is charged 'disgraceful' and suggested the death penalty.
Lire la suite »
Analysis | Why are evangelical Americans so loyal to Trump? Because they’re heavily Republican.Analysis: Why are evangelical Americans so loyal to Trump? Because they’re heavily Republican.
Lire la suite »
Why is Elizabeth Warren struggling? Democrats aren't looking for policy.The problem for Warren and Sanders is that voters don't seem to be voting on policy. Voters instead are prizing other qualities, such as leadership.
Lire la suite »
What Donald Trump Doesn’t Get About George WashingtonAnalysis: There’s a reason he didn’t name his estate after himself. And it’s exactly why he’s so revered now
Lire la suite »