Dutch company offers advanced 3D printing to rebuild Notre Dame

Concr3de has already created a replacement gargoyle for Notre-Dame using a 3D printer and ashes like those left by the fire

Spotted: Dutch company Concr3de has proposed rebuilding the Notre Dame using debris from the fire and a specially calibrated 3D printer. The process could potentially speed up the reconstruction and lower costs, according to the company.

The technology would ensure the reconstructed cathedral is more than a simple “copy”, Concr3de co-founder Eric Geboers told Dezeen. “Isn’t a copy just a fake? Simply copying, pretending there never was a fire, would be a historical forgery,” he said.

Using a 3D printer and material left over from the fire could also resolve some building challenges. For instance, there is a question about how to replace the giant oak beams used in the roof. The 3D printer would use a powder made from the ash and damaged limestone.

Concr3de has already created a 3D replica of one of the cathedral’s famed gargoyles, Le Stryge. It printed Le Stryge using its Armadillo White printer. The printer is calibrated to work with stone and stone-like materials. It used a similar method to recreate part of Palmyra’s Monumental Arch in Syria, after it was damaged by ISIS. The company believes it is also possible to 3D print replacement stone vaults.