The ambitious five-year reconstruction goal set by the French government following the fire in Paris’ iconic Notre Dame cathedral has left restoration experts scrambling.
Two key problems hinder the Notre Dame reconstruction efforts: resources and skillset. Authentic sources of much of the stone and wood used to complete Notre Dame are simply nonexistent: the 800-year-old Beachwood beams were from trees of a size no longer found in France; and the Lutetian limestone that made up the bulk of the cathedral’s structure and décor came from quarries now largely buried under the Paris cityscape.
Moreover, the artisans needed to accomplish specialized tasks like stonemasonry and woodworking on the scale of Notre Dame are in short supply. One expert estimated that this shortage of specialized labor could significantly set the entire project back.
All this leaves me wondering: are we thinking in 14th-century terms about a problem to which we could apply 21st-century solutions?
It’s worthwhile noting that the Notre Dame fire has clearly demonstrated that digital twinning–the process of creating virtual replicas of physical structure or products so simulations can be run on them–at a level suitable for duplication, is not just a trend. It’s clearly an imperative–especially for items of irreplaceable societal or cultural value. The detailed digital records of pre-fire Notre Dame (including those created by Ubisoft for its Assassin’s Creed Unity game) will prove invaluable to the restoration efforts.
Yet given the lack of materials and craftsmanship, these efforts may be in danger. While I understand and support the French government’s commitment to authenticity in restoration, the authenticity of the final product is in no way diminished by the methods or materials employed. For me, when it comes to restoring Notre Dame, the ends truly do justify the means.
The knee-jerk reaction to undertaking reconstruction using original-like materials and traditional craftsmanship and methods is admirable, but misguided. As one U.S. company already demonstrated, what was done historically with manual skill and labor can today be replicated autonomously with 3D printing. Combining wood and limestone similar to that found on the site of Notre Dame, this company used a 3D printer to replicate one of the cathedral’s iconic gargoyles. Does the manufacturing methodology used in his reincarnation truly make Le Stryge any less broodingly charming? Another U.S. company is already working on a plan to use 3D printing to reconstruct the entire cathedral spire.
The fact is that the combination of detailed digital records, generative design and advanced 3D printing techniques can produce original-quality replicas in a fraction of the time it would take traditional craftsmen–if such craftsmen could even be found.
This is a technology that is mature and already in use worldwide. Large-format 3D printing is building houses from Russia to the United States, and everywhere in-between. These printers use a variety of materials and methods, but the common denominator is speed, flexibility and – especially important in detailed reconstruction – accuracy and reliability.
Using 21st-century technology that’s already in the mainstream, we can literally breathe digital life into Notre Dame. What’s more, we can do so by reusing the original materials destroyed by the fire. Ash, dust and damaged stone from the Notre Dame site can be collected and turned into 3D printable powder, which can be used to recreate elements destroyed in the fire and collapse. In this way, the parts of Notre Dame that were 3D-printed would essentially be more authentic than their reconstructed brethren.
The destruction of Notre Dame was a cultural tragedy. Yet this one-of-a-kind monument–which was completed leveraging the pinnacle of 14th-century technology–should be restored leveraging the pinnacle of 21st-century technology. It’s time to set traditionalism aside in favor of more quickly, more effectively and—yes–more cost-effectively recreating Notre Dame’s former glory using 3D printing.
AVi Reichental is the founder and Executive Director of XponentialWorks, a venture investment, corporate advisory, and product development firm that specializes in AI, 3D printing, robotics, and the digital transformation of traditional businesses.
