soltani+leclercq showcases the restoration of notre dame behind a diaphanous veil

new york-based firm soltani+leclercq reimagined notre dame’s reconstruction after the fire to take place behind an ephemeral, translucent structure. meant to resemble a veil, the project stages the cathedral and paris as a corpus of interdependent parts through the restoration process. it offers glimpses into the transformation process, inviting visitors to become a part of it.

image © soltani+leclercq

following the latest decision of the french government to reconstruct notre dame’s roof and spire as they were before the fire, the designers wanted to celebrate its construction process. by enclosing the cathedral in the transparent box, it becomes encased as a display object going through its reconstruction.

image © soltani+leclercq

shrouded in layers of delicate membranes hung on an all enclosing scaffold, the designers created an immersive experience where visitors encounter the building details and the rebuilding of the roof and spire through a series of dedicated paths. facing paris, the scaffold built to the height of the spire can be used for curatorial display of relics or projections on special occasions.

image © soltani+leclercq

a voided cruciform sliver marks and commemorates the loss of the roof and the spire over the transepts. notre dame will faintly be visible as though in the transitional stage of a butterfly in chrysalis. its presence is felt throughout the reconstruction in an act of collective remembering.

project info:

architecture firm: soltani+leclercq

location: cathedral of notre dame in paris, france