Notre-Dame Reconstruction: A Call for Creative Restoration

Architect Pietro Carlo Pellegrini contemplates the future of Notre-Dame Cathedral following the devastating fire on April 15, 2019, urging for a restoration that harmonizes modern design with historical aspects. He reflects on the controversial restoration by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc after the French Revolution. While French President Macron has committed to completing the reconstruction within five years, Pellegrini expresses skepticism about this strategy, pointing to France's legacy of innovative contemporary architecture. He emphasizes the transient nature of buildings, recalling events like the 1966 Florence flood and the 1997 Assisi earthquake. Pellegrini commends thoughtful modern additions, including Peter Zumthor's Kolumba Museum and Eduardo Souto de Moura's Convent of Bouro, hoping Notre-Dame's revival will set a new standard for monumental restoration that elegantly incorporates existing materials.