Glasgow School of Art, which has endured two devastating fires of its own, has pledged to help France in “any way we can” in the promised reconstruction of Notre Dame in Paris.
Like the Mackintosh Building, destroyed by fire last June, Notre Dame has been digitally scanned, and it is hoped that the scan of the cathedral, by the late pioneering architectural historian Andrew Tallon and his colleague Paul Blaer, will aid greatly the planned reconstruction of the iconic building.
At Notre Dame de Paris, Tallon took scans from more than 50 locations in and around the cathedral, collecting more than one billion points of data: he also found and confirmed the imperfections in its famous stones - some features are not plumb, and interior columns do not line up.
Last night, the GSA said it was willing to share its experiences with the team that will lead the reconstruction of Notre Dame.
A spokeswoman said: “Along with the rest of the world we are holding the people of Paris in our thoughts today as they come to terms with the impact of the fire on their much-loved building.
“Like their Scottish counterparts, French firefighters went above and beyond yesterday, and it is in no small part due to their heroic efforts that as much of the building and its contents have been preserved.”
No cause has yet been found for the Notre Dame fire: in Glasgow, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has yet to issue its report into the cause of the 2018 Mackintosh Building fire.
Like the Mackintosh Building, the cathedral was in the process of undergoing renovations when the fire began.
The spokeswoman added: “In the days and weeks to come many decisions will need to be made about the future of Notre Dame.
“We stand ready to help the team in Paris in any way we can by sharing our experiences of working to stabilise a damaged historic structure and ensuring that data which is vital for the rebuild is gathered and recorded.”
Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Notre Dame is one of the most exquisite and iconic structures in the history of art and architecture. There are few buildings with such resonance to so many.
“For centuries Notre Dame has been synonymous with Paris and that sense of shock and loss around the world is entirely understandable.
“I am certain that many ordinary Glaswegians, who have recent similar experience with fire devastating a much-loved historic building which was part of the fabric of our city, will empathise with the loss felt by the people of Paris.”
Stephen Mackenzie, a fire safety expert, said the Notre Dame fire will be the first “one billion Euro fire”, with a restoration project that will dwarf that which followed the Windsor Castle fire of 1992.
Professor Alan Dunlop, Scottish architect and academic, said: “Comparisons are already being made with the fire at The Mack. As tragic as the recent fire which destroyed the Mackintosh building was, it does not compare with the devastating loss of this 850-year-old national symbol of the French nation.”
He added: “The rebuilding of Dresden and Warsaw after World War Two would be a better example than the replication of the Mackintosh [Building] at the School of Art.
“That rebuilding was part of the necessary and essential morale building of nations where every citizen was affected by war.
“It was more than the Eiffel Tower, the Cathedral of Notre Dame was a fundamental part of the nation’s heritage. President Macron has promised to rebuild and has called out for international help.
“I believe that the UK has the expertise, gained from the restoration of Windsor Castle and York Minster and can offer that support and we should.”
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