My first reaction was ‘Terrible! - a catastrophe not seen since World War Two!’. It looked as if 850 years of European cultural heritage was going up into smoke. But then I realized how the Gothic cathedrals were built; and it was the roof burning, and not the ceiling.
We lost so much cultural heritage - so many architectural treasures, so many works of literature, so many works of art, so much cultural legacy - in the World War Two that we really never want it to happen again. And the Medieval cathedrals are dear to every European.
But when I saw the first photograph of the Cathedral after the fire, my first thought was: This is a testimony of the opus francigenum, and that the architects and master constructors really knew their trade. The interior is almost intact, and when seeing the golden altar cross glimmering at the apse, I immediately knew the Cathedral will one day be rebuilt.
The ogival arches of the Gothic architecture are both incredibly beautiful - and incredibly durable. They can both take immense amounts of load, and enable construction of light and airy buildings.
The masoned Medieval ceiling worked both as thermal insulation, preventing the infernal temperature of the wooden beams and trusses of the roof burning to spread to interior and igniting the stuff there. Even the wooden pulpit at right is intact. The ceiling is almost intact - there are a couple of holes where the 750 tonne spire and the bell collapsed - but otherwise the beams, the girders, the trusses and the lead roof has remained upon the masoned ceiling. Basically, the interior of the cathedral could be just cleaned up for Easter mass, and a sermon held there, and the holes at ceiling be plugged with a tarp to prevent rain entering in.
Yet the cathedral suffered far less damage than I feared. The wonderful pipe organ is undamaged (albeit sooty and filthy) - I heard it played during the Vesper when I visite Paris 2015, and all the three rose windows are intact.
The rose windows are for Christianity the same as the mandalas for Buddhism. Not only do they bring light in the church, but they also contain the same patterns, the same forms, the same beauty, and they are means of meditation, opening the door to your inner universe. They are incredibly beautiful, and it would have been really sad had they been lost.
Yet there are churches and other buildings which suffered far worse damage in the World War Two, and which were yet rebuilt. The Rouen cathedral is a prime example, as is the Frauenkirche of Dresden. See 5 Buildings Destroyed During WW2 Now Rebuilt From Ashes.
Phoenix is one of the symbols in Christianity, symbolizing rebirth and resurrection, and nothing describes better the will to repair, restore and resurrect the Notre Dame after this debacle.
This Easter we all are Parisians.
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