Dr. Lindsay Cook: "Restoring Notre-Dame: A Look at the Digital Scans That Could Help"

Dr. Lindsay Cook, Visiting Assistant Professor of Art, Vassar College
Starting in 2010, the late architectural historian Andrew Tallon used 3-D laser scanning technology and high-resolution panoramic photography to create a near-complete digital record, inside and out, of Notre-Dame of Paris, one of the world’s most celebrated structures. Professor Cook presents an overview of Tallon’s achievement and discusses its contribution to the rebuilding of this beloved cathedral in the wake of the tragic fire of April 2019.

[@andrewjameson5918]

She is brilliant, she needs to be bought back when the works are finished in 2024.

[@BSNFabricating]

The way I see it, Notre Dame is timeless and was built using the materials and technology of the day. And the same was true as work continued through the centuries, so there's nothing wrong with using today's techniques in the restoration. As long as they don't lose the look and the character of the cathedral, I don't think anybody should object if the roof, for example, is reconstructed using steel and aluminum.

[@biturboism]

Couldn’t agree more.

[@MikeJones-rk1un]

The only way to take anything positive from this is to assure we protect other valuable buildings in the future.

[@walterulasinksi7031]

In that the digital scans from the previous engineering of the roof structure,can show the stress pressure points on the now weakened walls. A new engineering of a roof structure that can be designed to be stronger but lighter and permit the roof structure can also be engineered to strengthen the damaged walls. Such as an arched truss as the main support of the upper roof structure as opposed to the triangular sub structure. From such a main substructure, a triangular roof structure can be supported above,by the the arched truss.

[@WLHS]

Thanks again.

[@janparker6724]

I wonder if the misaligned posts in the left part are because there are soft spots under the foundation. the right parts seem to be fine and orderly but if everything was already up they didn't have concrete to shore up the foundation. This might be a point in the reconstruction that would need to be addressed before the roof went back on.

[@lynncourtenay4415]

Differential settlement is one of the most common problems with medieval cathedrals and involved foundations and soil conditions whose load bearing capacity could not have been calculated by medieval builders. Generally speaking the settlement problem is caused or exacerbated by the addition of large towers at the west end, as in the case of Paris, and in England especially, massive crossing towers. Lynn T. Courtenay, The Engineering of Gothic Cathedrals, vol 1 of Studies in the History of Civil Engineering, Ashgate, 1997.

[@lancelotxavier9084]

How complicated could a old fire alarm be?

[@HarrisonDavies]

Did the also use Ubisoft’s scans?

[@sagefields]

No.

[@CopenhagenDreaming]

That is literally answered during the Q&A towards the end. (My personal opinion: Ubisoft did a great work at recreating the atmosphere and look, but they never intended it to be an historical or accurate record. It's wonderful, but it's something different.)

[@sunny-sq6ci]

a side note into this was that ubisoft had near 100% accurate 3d of notre dame due to creating assassins creed brotherhood

[@chatenaylady9305]

What an unfortunate mistake in French given that the speaker was trying to make a point in the language. Elle est disparue - not elle a disparue.

[@robertmilan6672]

Merci !

[@gondolacrescent5]

An excellent talk. Why do some Anglophones feel the need to speak French, which is not their mother-tongue, with an outrageous “French” accent, to such an extent, they cannot be understood?

[@Nutmegp]

Probably because they're trying to their best to sound authentic out of respect, but like you said it's not their mother-tongue....

[@davidjacobs8558]

they should not use wood timber frame for restoration. use aluminum alloy or some other material that is light, strong, long lasting and fire resistant.

[@MikeJones-rk1un]

I really doubt timbers that size are available but if not, framing could only partially be done in another way.

[@biturboism]

There is a certain sense of hypocrisy to suddenly deciding to fix the structure in time, thereby defining it as the “correct” version, while at the same time restoring the le-Duc fantasy spire he designed in the 19th century, great though it might’ve been. His philosophy of a living building that must adapt to its use cases in time is utterly stomped upon or, potentially even worse, is honoured by indicating the commercial tourist value of the “iconic” pre-fire state takes precedence over the cultural significance of the building. Regardless, that decision looks more populist than academic, especially since the architectural historians keep highlighting the importance of the temporal dimension. I’m afraid I see the restoration decision as rather vulgar and tasteless.

[@garfieldisgod]

And just think.........one cigarette butt destroyed a historic monument......they should be banned from the very grounds of any historic site.

[@gissie391]

I hope it stays is not restored.

[@getarchitecture582]

Really interesting, good lecture, but the presenter should not try to speak in lower voice - it sounds strange if not comical

[@frankpratt529]

???

[@Siansonea]

There is literally nothing wrong with the presenter's voice.

[@rickythe2nd63]

...and that is what you got out of the presentation? kay...

[@jorklind]

Your face is comical - you’d best shut it.