A number of designs have been proposed for Notre Dame’s fire-damaged roof and spire but few are as daring as this rooftop pool.
Imagine taking a dip in a rooftop pool above Notre Dame. Watched over by the statues of gargoyles and the 12 apostles as you swim above the Seine, while Paris landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur interrupt your strokes. It seems a bit far-fetched but that’s exactly what Swedish design firm Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) is proposing.
Ever since a fire engulfed the Gothic masterpiece in April, architects and designers have tried to reimagine what a rebuilt Notre Dame would look like. The French government launched an international competition so architects can submit their ideas but debate continues to grow between traditionalists who favour a faithful restoration and those who want to push boundaries with innovative designs to marry the old and the new. UMA is in the latter camp with proposals to design a public pool that occupies the entire roof.
“Given that we’re in the epicentre of Paris, the world’s cultural capital and a city filled with joie de vivre, we’re not planning on rebuilding the roof as it was. Instead, we are proposing a meditative public space; a complementary spatial experience to the building with unmatched views over Paris,” a UMA spokesperson told Lonely Planet. “We think that the cathedral looks much better without both the spire and the lead-clad roof. Instead, we let the bell towers, the flying buttresses and the rose windows do the talking.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants Notre Dame rebuilt “more beautifully” and finished in five years, presumably to coincide with the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Potential designs include a rooftop garden, an ‘endless’ spire of light and a roof made of crystal.
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