Last week’s poll: restoring Notre-Dame

There are no easy answers to questions surrounding the restoration of Notre Dame de Paris. For a start, those seeking a faithful recreation of the cathedral’s wooden roof and spire will need to source over 1,300 giant oak trees. According to UC Berkeley, this amounts to the equivalent to 52 acres of trees from dense woodland, which is a natural resource lacking in France.

The restoration team will also be acutely aware of wider structural issues brought about by saving a largely limestone structure that has undergone the rigours of extreme heat and the brave attentions of the Paris Fire Brigade. Such a combination of extreme heat and water can lead to calcification and weakening of the limestone, which will need replacing.

Then there’s the small matter of gathering those with an intimate knowledge of gothic and medieval architecture to oversee the considerable task of restoring Notre Dame de Paris.