How to restore Notre-Dame? Architect John Beyer discusses possibilities
After fire devastated the roof of the medieval Notre-Dame de Paris on April 15, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that the Gothic cathedral would be rebuilt and reopened within five years. The Gazette recently spoke to noted architect John H. Beyer about how the monumental task of restoring and preserving the structure will likely be approached, and the possibilities for introducing modern elements to the historic landmark. Beyer earned his master’s degree in architecture at Harvard in 1961. In 1968, he helped found Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP., an architecture and planning firm noted for its restoration of New York’s Grand Central Station and Ellis Island, as well as numerous historic places of worship across the U.S., including the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, Calif., and St. Thomas Church in New York City. More recently, Beyer’s firm has...