Notre Dame, Paris

Zeyu Cai and Sibei Li win the people's Notre Dame design competition.

With 226 entries from 56 countries, the winning proposal was chosen by the public with 30000 people voting. The completion aimed to create a new vision for the future of the iconic cathedral after the Notre Dame fire in April this year. Called the Paris heartbeat, the winning design will create a literal heartbeat in the city.

As briefly stated, “The centuries-old cathedral has lost its entire roof, spire and was severely damaged by the flames. Notre dame is not just a building, but a vision not only for the city but the whole world. It’s a symbol of purity in architecture, a witness to age-old history, a collection of memories, and a monument we all have been impacted by.

As Zeyu Cai and Sibei Li state, “we believe the 2019 fire will mark a new era for Notre Dame.” They go on to explain that in their design, the new spire is interpreted into poly mirrors, gently reflecting the context together with the mirror roof. Every moment the building will have a new look, matching the changing urban environment. In addition, a time capsule, designed to be open every half-century, is floating at the top of the spire. The magnetic levitation installation is made to keep the memory of the past and reserve space for future stories. 

The new spire represents memory, presence, and hope for humanity. The time capsule can move rhythmically up and down, breathing and beating together with the city kaleidoscope. The vibrant glass would be bought to life by the light while the structure expresses the shadow. The beauty and logic of the rose window of Norte Dame would be reinterpreted through the design.

The new spire forms the pinnacle of the design. imagined as a completely mirrored surface, the spire also includes a magnetic levitating installation that will appear to float. designed to represent notions of memory, presence, and hope, the floating component will move up and down in an effort to evoke the beating heart of the city, which has endured the 2019 fire.

Inside, the design also includes an intricate kaleidoscope that is created from the shape of the spire and the glass that colors the light to create a beautiful pattern. paying homage to Notre Dame’s historic rose window, this element is imagined as a focal point of the project. overall, by embracing a contemporary addition, Paris's heartbeat aims to bring the cathedral into the future while still reflecting the historic architecture of the city.

Paris's heartbeat will be featured in a new book with all 226 designs called Visions of Notre Dame.

source: GoArchitect