Fire in Notre Dame: what could have happened during the restoration work to light the fire, according to Argentine experts – 15/04/2019

Predecessor of "author architecture", Notre Dame was one of the last representatives of the collective, anonymous architecture, to which different professionals participated. And in its long history has undergone changes, in addition to minor reforms and partial restorations. But he also went through countless avatars They included looting, robbery, fire attempts and even bombing during the Second World War. However, it would have ended under the destructive flames because of a human error or clumsiness, euphemistically considered "Failure of security".

Pablo Katz is an Argentinean architect and urban planner who lives and practices his career in Ciudad Luz since 1982, to such an extent that he is a full member of the Paris Architecture Academy and President of the French Society of Architects.

From Paris night, he spoke with Clarin and put forward his hypothesis about the tragedy: "It is very premature to carry out an badysis, but it is very probably an accidental fire product. works in the structure of the building, which include the total renovation of the roof and garret. You must keep in mind that this building sector does not have electrical installation, just to avoid the risk of fire. There is nothing that indicates the possibility of an attack or a deliberate act. Most likely, it was an accident caused by the presence of flammable products or following a spark ".

In the same spirit, the architect Fernando Gandolfi, dean of the UAU-UNLP, professor of history of architecture and director of the Master in Construction, Restoration and Intervention of Architectural and Urban Heritage .

"The level of risk is very delicate because we have to take into account the participation of different actors, tools and products. A dull saw can generate an ignition of sawdust that remains latent once the wood has dried. This imperceptible "flame" is a kind of spark that, even with empty space, can generate a first hearth of fire ", considered.

Gandolfi adds that the restoration works are still a Pandora's box: "The security measures are still insufficient, so you have to focus on preventive measures, concretely in the correct waterproofing of covers and systems against fire, and not so much in aesthetic or appearance issues, such as cleaning facades. And you have to use fireproof materials on the wood. "

Another variable that contributes to this unimaginable loss is "the the vulnerability of the stone, which raises the temperature transmitted by the wood and then receives the water, which generates a violent rupture ".

In full meeting with the students of the postgraduate course on heritage conservation at FADU-UBA, the architect Eduardo Scagliotti saw on television the images of the tragedy.

"Historically," he says, "large buildings of this type have been destroyed by fire, and what is strange is that safety standards in Europe are very strict. And the resulting damage is irreversible. At most, you can get a replica of Our Lady, but what has been lost"

For Scagliotti, advisor of the conservation plan of the faculty of engineering of Avenida Las Heras, neo-gothic icon porteño, "the fire prevention systems for this type of works must start from # 39; a rigorous study building characteristics; then a detailed set of rules aimed at minimize risks in each sector, especially in areas with a lot of wood and resin ".