Starting with the iron spire that heated to more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and collapsed into the timbers below, the debate over Notre-Dame’s future cannot occur without debating Viollet-le-Duc’s contributions. His work at Notre-Dame carries special weight for the cathedral’s prominence in Paris near the ancient city center—itself the metropole of the region, from which all distances are measured in L’Hexagone, and the heart of the former French Empire.

➜The Rebirth of a Gothic Icon: Design therapy seems to be part of Notre-Dame’s recovery, but what does an ideas competition reveal about its future? Published by the American Institute of Architects, 2019

➜Notre-Dame’s recovery is about stewardship, say architects and historians. Published by the American Institute of Architects, 2019