Last year, after a devastating fire gutted the roof of the historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the French government announced an international competition to redesign the Notre Dame spire.
One of the designs gaining public interest is a glass roof and spire that can harness solar energy.
A truly modern design for the refurbishment of Notre Dame Cathedral would see a new roof that harnesses solar energy to provide enough energy to power nearby buildings.
What Is So Unique About this New Roof Design?
This roof is designed by Paris-based Vincent Callebaut Architectures using diamond-shaped glass panels propped up with laminated wooden beams.
The architects claim that the panels would store solar power in hydrogen fuel cells, turning Notre Dame into an energy-positive building. As more than enough energy would be stored to power the Cathedral, the excess could be channelled to nearby buildings.
The roof would also house a garden in which the fruit and vegetables grown would be distributed for free to poor and homeless Parisians.
If selected, the design by Vincent Callebaut Architecture will install a roof and spire made up of diamond glass panels supported by steel frames. Each of the panels would store solar power in hydrogen fuel cells, which are projected to provide electricity for the cathedral and some buildings in its vicinity.
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