GoArchitect has announced designers Zeyu Cai and Sibei Li as the winners of The Peoples Notre-Dame Cathedral Design Competition. With 226 entries from 56 countries, the winning proposal was chosen by the public with over 30,000 people voting. The competition aimed to create a new vision for the future of the iconic cathedral after the Notre Dame fire in April this year. Called Paris Heartbeat, the winning design creates a literal heartbeat for the city.
As the brief stated, "The centuries-old cathedral has lost its entire roof, spire, and was severely damaged by the flames. Notre-Dame Cathedral is more than a building. It is a symbol, a collection of memories, a witness to history, and a monument we've all been impacted by. This collective understanding now presents us with the most unique of questions; where do we go from here? Do we rebuild the structure exactly as it was or do we search for a new representation of our shared experience? If it is the latter, what will this representation look like, feel like, and act like?"
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 story.
The new spire represents the memory, presence and hope of humanity. The time capsule can move rhythmically up and down, breathing and beating together with the city. The inside reflection of the tower spire creates a city kaleidoscope. The vibrant glass would be brought to life by the light while the structure expresses the shadow. The beauty and logic of the Rose Window of Notre Dame would be reinterpreted through the design.
Paris Hearbeat will be featured in a new book with all 226 designs called Visions of Notre-Dame.
News via GoArchitect
