This Dezeen video shows the restoration progress of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, including its reconstructed spire that is crowned by a golden rooster.
In the video, viewers can see the 96-metre-tall spire without its scaffolding, with a design replicating the 1859 version designed by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.
The Dezeen video reveals the reconstructed spire at Notre-Dame
The reconstructed spire is topped with a recreation of the original cross and a golden rooster designed by architect Philippe Villeneuve who is leading the renovation works.
Villeneuve said the rooster’s “wings of fire” are intended as a reminder that “the cathedral can be reborn from the ashes, like a phoenix”, the BBC reported.
While the spire marks a major milestone in the restoration of the cathedral after the devastating fire in 2019, scaffolding remains around much of the rest of the building.
Works were originally hoped to be completed in time to reopen for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but it will now remain closed until December 2024. However, scaffolding is expected to remain around the building until 2028.
The fire that engulfed Notre-Dame cathedral in 2019 gutted its interior and destroyed its roof and spire, making headlines around the world.
It prompted a flurry of designers to offer proposals for a replacement spire, but speculation about its future ended when president Emmanuel Macron said he would ensure the building was rebuilt “identically” to how it was before the event.
As part of the restoration project, the forecourt and the surroundings of Notre-Dame cathedral are also being revamped.
This will see Belgian architect Bas Smets revive the square facing the cathedral and transform an abandoned underground car park beneath it into a visitor centre.
The photography is by Lizzie Crook.
