This presentation will cover the historical account of the innovation, destruction, and repair of Gothic cathedrals, as well as a catalog of the life cycle of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Paris’ masonry structure using these same terms: how the cathedral was built, the structural damage it suffered during the 2019 fire, and post-fire investigations aiding in reconstruction.
Taking a closer look at the limestone, this presentation explores the full life cycle of the cathedral from the quarrying of the original stones, to post-fire damage assessment, and the sourcing, carving, and placing of new stone. There will also be a discussion on how the fire, despite being a major destructive force, has nonetheless enabled a renewed respect for the skills of specialized craftspeople—particularly stonemasons—and groundbreaking academic research in the world of historic monuments.
Jack Mowat ’22, ’23 is a recent Notre Dame CEEES graduate. Originally from Omaha, NE, Jack moved to Denver, CO after completing his master’s degree in structural engineering to work for Martin/Martin—a civil and structural engineering firm based in Denver. While at Martin/Martin he has worked on projects including new graduate residence hall for CU Boulder and a new lab and administrative building for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). While pursuing his masters, Jack received an opportunity with the ND student architecture magazine (STOA) to travel to Paris and study the restoration of the Notre Dame Cathedral which had burned four years earlier in April of 2019. Jack co-wrote two articles for the magazine’s 2024 issue one of which is the basis for this presentation.
