🕰️🔥 Time-Warping Reconstruction: Notre Dame’s Roof Sparks Medieval Renaissance in Modern Woodworking! 🏗️🌳
TL;DR;
Modern day carpenters, in the restoration of Notre Dame’s fire-damaged roof, are turning back the hands of time by using medieval woodworking techniques. They’re crafting hundreds of tons of oak beams for the roof structure, a process that has gifted them with fresh admiration for their 13th-century counterparts. Surprisingly, it’s not just about building the roof, but also about reviving and keeping alive an ancient art. Could it be the new “old-school” trend?
As we step into 2023, some of us are literally stepping into the Middle Ages. That’s right, folks, we’re talking about the carpenters reconstructing the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral’s roof, which suffered massive fire damage back in 2019. You might think they’d whip out the latest power tools and technology to get the job done, but you’d be as wrong as a cat on a surfboard! 🐱🏄♂️
Why? Well, because our modern-day carpenters have gone full “blast from the past”. They’ve traded their power tools for axes, using them to chisel hundreds of tons of oak beams, recreating the framework that’ll serve as Notre Dame’s new roof. It’s not just the beams but their thoughts too, echoing those of their medieval predecessors, making identical joints that were first crafted some 900 years ago. Are we starting to think in cycles?🔄
Peter Henrikson, one of these time-traveling carpenters, calls the process “mind-bending” and “fascinating.” His thoughts often drift to his medieval counterparts while he’s whacking mallet on chisel. Makes you wonder: how different are we from those who lived centuries ago? Are we on the cusp of a new era that appreciates the old ways?
The decision to reconstruct using hand tools is anything but arbitrary. It’s a deliberate nod to the stellar craftsmanship of the cathedral’s original builders, ensuring the art of hand-fashioning wood persists. Jean-Louis Georgelin, the man overseeing the reconstruction, wants the restoration to reflect the spirit of the Middle Ages. But what does this imply for our modern era, obsessed with speed and technology? Could we be craving a deeper connection with our past, a simplicity lost to progress? 🤔
Don’t be fooled though. While the reconstruction might appear totally medieval, it’s still got a sprinkle of the 21st century. Modern technology like computer design is being utilized to ensure precision in the process. Traditional carpenters carried blueprints in their heads, but today, detailed plans are computer-designed for perfect fitting of the hand-chiseled beams.
Even the sourcing and transportation of materials have a modern touch. Some 1,200 trees were felled for the project, and unlike the old times, the structure will be transported to Paris by truck and lifted atop the cathedral by mechanical cranes. A beautiful blend of tradition and technology, isn’t it? 🌳🏗️
As the reconstruction hit a significant milestone in May with the successful assembly of large parts of the new timber frame, it was deemed fit for purpose. Architect Remi Fromont, who drew detailed plans of the original frame back in 2012, asserts that the new structure is akin to the 13th-century one. Could this symbolize our renewed appreciation for ancient wisdom and craftsmanship, and could it be signaling a resurgence of the old in the new world? 🏛️🔨
From the ashes of disaster, it appears we
