Architect proposes turning Notre Dame’s roof into an eco-farm

The design showcases the potential of eco-engineering and is being touted as a socially minded response to the fire

Spotted: Paris-based Vincent Callebaut Architectures has proposed rebuilding Notre Dame’s roof into a garden that produces fruits and vegetables. The design showcases the potential of eco-engineering and is a “socially minded” response to the fire, according to the studio.

The new roof is also designed to create more energy than it uses. Fruits and vegetables would grow in the nave of the cathedral. The arms of the crossing would contain water pools to feed the garden. The garden would produce 25 kilograms of food per square metre per year, the studio says.

“We advocate for an exemplary project in ecological engineering that feels true to its time and avoids a pastiche architecture that turns the city into an open-air museum,” said the studio.