Almost a year after last April's devastating fire, Notre Dame is still in a fragile state. Workers had been racing to stabilize the 800-year-old structure before the effort was suspended indefinitely last month due to the coronavirus pandemic, putting the project in even greater jeopardy.
The fire destroyed a section of the cathedral that acted as the linchpin of its medieval design: its roof and central spire. Like a ballast, the spire and roof pushed downward and outward on Notre Dame’s limestone walls, countering the inward pressure generated by the cathedral’s flying buttresses and massive facade.
Without the spire and roof in place, the limestone walls of Notre Dame’s nave are at risk of tilting inward and its vaulted ceiling can buckle. Already, about 15% of the ceiling collapsed during the fire and over the summer.
Notre Dame’s famous flying buttresses are still pushing against the walls, but without the counterweight of the roof and spire, they are at risk of collapsing if the vaults give way. The gables are also at risk because they are no longer supported by the roof. The north gable nearly collapsed during the fire.
Water used to douse the flames created fissures in the massive stones that arc above Notre Dame’s nave, and seeped into the joints and mortar, leading to crumbling. Some of that water may have frozen over the winter, potentially weakening the structure further.
The cathedral is covered in lead that melted from the roof and spire, which were made of several hundred tons of the toxic metal. Workers doing cleanup wear hazmat suits to prevent lead contamination and shower each time they leave the site.
Back outside, charred scaffolding looms at the cathedral’s most vulnerable point, where the spire once rose. It had been erected for restoration efforts before the fire. Now distorted and highly unstable, it has been swaying in the wind and rain. Its collapse would be catastrophic.
Workers had started building a new scaffolding to remove the old one before the project was suspended in March. Eventually, workers known as squirrels will rappel by rope over the old scaffolding, removing it piece by piece over the course of a few months.
A giant tarpaulin has been stretched over the exposed ceiling, covering crater-like holes. The upper windows of the nave and the apse have been removed for protection. Temporary covers shield the cathedral’s famed trio of rose windows from the elements.
A row of 60-foot wooden beams hangs above the vaulted ceiling, creating a platform for workers to assess damage and make repairs.
Giant wooden supports have been installed to reinforce the north, west and south gables as well as the flying buttresses.
Wedged between the flying buttresses and the main wall, these 8-ton crutches are designed to prevent walls from collapsing if the vaulted ceiling gives way.
Inside, two pillars, damaged by the spire when it came down in flames, have been reinforced. The main altar, with its baroque sculptures depicting the vow of King Louis XIII, has been covered with a wooden box.
One question remains outstanding: Should Notre Dame’s roof and spire be rebuilt as they once stood or get a makeover? The French government has fielded proposals from architects around the world, fueling debate. The goal was to have the restoration done by 2024, when Paris will be hosting the Summer Olympics, but work is already behind schedule.
