Rebuilding Notre-Dame: Something Significant Is at Stake

The urge to modernize Paris’s beloved cathedral in the post-fire restoration must be resisted

Cranes and scaffolding are seen at the Notre-Dame de Paris on May 10, 2019, as stabilization work continues in preparation for reconstruction to begin after the cathedral was badly damaged by a fire the previous month. Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

Here’s some bad news: When an iconic 800-year-old wood, stone, and whatever-was-handy cathedral was engulfed by a catastrophic fire, the structure was severely compromised. And here’s some worse news: They’re thinking of giving it an update.