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I read several interviews today with the master builders of big cathedrals in Germany and Austria. Basically, they are all deeply shocked, the consensus being t

by lqet 8y ago

I read several interviews today with the master builders of big cathedrals in Germany and Austria. Basically, they are all deeply shocked, the consensus being that nobody thought a catastrophe like that was possible in the 21st century. This appears to be the first major fire in a European cathedral after the second world war, where of course many cathedrals burnt down after bombings (for example, a similar fire broke out in St. Stephens in Vienna in 1945) [0] In several regional papers, they are now discussing if such a fire would be possible in the local cathedrals (it would, of course) and whether sprinklers should be installed in wooden roof frameworks (which brings all sorts of problems). Only some newer cathedrals (for example the one in Cologne) or cathedrals that burnt during WWII have steel frameworks under their roof. On an emotional level, I am quite touched by the international reaction to this catastrophe. Basically all cathedrals here in Germany rang their bells today at noon out of respect. [0] http://www.pwein.at/Webpage-Holocaust/Geschichte-1938/Stephansdom-3.jpg http://www.pwein.at/Webpage-Holocaust/Geschichte-1938/Stepha...

tannhaeuser 8y ago
While gothic cathedrals are among the most sophisticated buildings ever created, this is still just a relatively small damage, and no life is lost. The French will absolutely rebuild it, and the best experts and sponsors will be proud to be part of it. See Dresden's Frauenkirche and basically all of Nuremberg.
saool 8y ago
The cathedral in Leon, Spain, a slightly older gothic church, was the scene of a very similar fire when a badly grounded lightning set the wooden roof on fire in May, 1966. The damage wasn't as pronounced thanks to the stone used for the top, which was chosen for its lightness but had the added benefit of having volcanic-like properties. And especially thanks to a local mason who made the call to pull the fire brigade and sacrificed more of the wooden roofing to prevent the water weight from making the vault collapse. I haven't found much info in English but here's a detailed account in a Spanish blog: http://cosinasdeleon.com/el-incendio-de-la-catedral-de-leon/ http://cosinasdeleon.com/el-incendio-de-la-catedral-de-leon/
ggm 8y ago
York minster had a significant fire during restoration in the 1980s.

by lqet 8y ago

tannhaeuser 8y ago

While gothic cathedrals are among the most sophisticated buildings ever created, this is still just a relatively small damage, and no life is lost. The French will absolutely rebuild it, and the best experts and sponsors will be proud to be part of it. See Dresden's Frauenkirche and basically all of Nuremberg.

saool 8y ago

The cathedral in Leon, Spain, a slightly older gothic church, was the scene of a very similar fire when a badly grounded lightning set the wooden roof on fire in May, 1966. The damage wasn't as pronounced thanks to the stone used for the top, which was chosen for its lightness but had the added benefit of having volcanic-like properties. And especially thanks to a local mason who made the call to pull the fire brigade and sacrificed more of the wooden roofing to prevent the water weight from making the vault collapse. I haven't found much info in English but here's a detailed account in a Spanish blog: http://cosinasdeleon.com/el-incendio-de-la-catedral-de-leon/ http://cosinasdeleon.com/el-incendio-de-la-catedral-de-leon/

ggm 8y ago

York minster had a significant fire during restoration in the 1980s.