Created with architectural historian Stephen Murray
As featured in:
1. Notre Dame’s official website
2. Open Culture, May 2021
2. Rebuilding a Legacy, hosted April 2021 by the French Embassy, view recording
3. Restoring a Gothic Masterpiece, hosted May 2021 by the Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall, view recording
.
1. Construction time-lapse
This construction time-lapse illustrates the history of Notre-Dame from c.1060 to the present day, following ten centuries of construction and reconstruction. Model is based on actual measurements of the cathedral and was peer reviewed for accuracy by scholars at Columbia University’s art history department and at the Friends of Notre-Dame of Paris.
The film was created in the computer modeling software SketchUp, based on hand-drawn image textures. The ink drawings of nineteenth-century architect Viollet-le-Duc were scanned and applied to the model surfaces, so as to transform the two-dimensional artwork into the three-dimensional digital. I believe computer models should preserve a certain handmade quality.
.
Music: Pérotin, Viderunt Omnes
View animation with music only.
Read text of Stephen Murray’s audio narration.
.
2. Virtual reality computer model
Explore the interior and exterior of Notre-Dame in virtual reality.
Give thirty seconds for browser to load. Link opens in new window.
Complete model of Notre-Dame inside and out. Download includes simulation of cathedral construction sequence.
.
.
Fire on 15 April 2019
.
3. Research method and work flow
Learn how this model was created – and how to create similar models of your own – with my series of online tutorials shared to this page.
.
4. Computer model and construction sequence sources
– Dany Sandron and Andrew Tallon. Notre-Dame Cathedral: nine centuries of history.
– Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Drawings of Notre-Dame. From Wikimedia Commons.
– J. Clemente. Spire of Notre-Dame. From SketchUp 3D Warehouse.
– Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and Ferdinand de Guilhermy. Notre-Dame de Paris. From BnF Gallica.
– Caroline Bruzelius. “The Construction of Notre-Dame in Paris” in The Art Bulletin. From JSTOR.
– Michael Davis. “Splendor and Peril: The Cathedral of Paris” in The Art Bulletin. From JSTOR.
.
5. Exterior still images from model
.
![Notre-Dame West Facade West facade](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-West-Facade.jpg?w=581&h=775&ssl=1)
West facade
![Notre-Dame West Facade Towers West facade towers](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-West-Facade-Towers.png?w=361&h=203&ssl=1)
West facade towers
![Notre-Dame West Facade from Below West facade](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-West-Facade-from-Below.jpg?w=361&h=236&ssl=1)
West facade
![Notre-Dame West Facade Detail West facade](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-West-Facade-Detail.jpg?w=361&h=328&ssl=1)
West facade
![Notre-Dame West Facade Rose Window Detail West facade rose window](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-West-Facade-Rose-Window-Detail.png?w=375&h=211&ssl=1)
West facade rose window
![Notre-Dame West Facade Rose Window West facade rose window](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-West-Facade-Rose-Window.png?w=375&h=211&ssl=1)
West facade rose window
![Notre-Dame West Facade and South Facade Notre-Dame West Facade and South Facade](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-West-Facade-and-South-Facade.jpg?w=567&h=426&ssl=1)
![Notre-Dame South Facade from Below South side of nave](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-South-Facade-from-Below.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
South side of nave
![Notre-Dame Nave Buttresses Buttresses on south side of nave](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Nave-Buttresses.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
Buttresses on south side of nave
![Notre-Dame Choir Buttresses Buttresses on choir](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Choir-Buttresses.png?w=516&h=290&ssl=1)
Buttresses on choir
![Notre-Dame Spire and Western Towers Spire and western towers](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Spire-and-Western-Towers.jpg?w=426&h=290&ssl=1)
Spire and western towers
![Notre-Dame Spire Spire](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Spire.jpg?w=431&h=807&ssl=1)
Spire
![Notre-Dame Spire from Below Spire](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Spire-from-Below.jpg?w=511&h=807&ssl=1)
Spire
![Notre-Dame South Facade South facade](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-South-Facade.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
South facade
![Notre-Dame North Facade South side of nave](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-North-Facade.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
South side of nave
![Notre-Dame Hemicycle Buttresses Buttresses on hemicycle](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Hemicycle-Buttresses.png?w=414&h=233&ssl=1)
Buttresses on hemicycle
![Notre-Dame Hemicyle and South Facade Hemicycle](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Hemicyle-and-South-Facade.jpg?w=414&h=258&ssl=1)
Hemicycle
![Notre-Dame Hemicycle Hemicycle](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Hemicycle.jpg?w=528&h=495&ssl=1)
Hemicycle
![Notre-Dame South Transept Rose Window South transept rose window](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-South-Transept-Rose-Window.png?w=946&h=532&ssl=1)
South transept rose window
.
6. Interior still images
.
![Notre-Dame Interior Nave to Choir Nave towards choir](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Interior-Nave-to-Choir.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
Nave towards choir
![Notre-Dame Interior Nave Clerestory Clerestory windows of nave](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Interior-Nave-Clerestory.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
Clerestory windows of nave
![Notre-Dame Interior Choir Clerestory Choir](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Interior-Choir-Clerestory.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
Choir
![Notre-Dame Interior Choir to Nave Choir towards nave](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Interior-Choir-to-Nave.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
Choir towards nave
![Notre-Dame Interior Roof of North Transept Rafters inside roof](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Interior-Roof-of-North-Transept.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
Rafters inside roof
![Notre-Dame Interior Roof of Choir to Nave Rafters inside roof](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Interior-Roof-of-Choir-to-Nave.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
Rafters inside roof
![Notre-Dame Interior South Transept South transept rose window](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Interior-South-Transept.png?w=946&h=532&ssl=1)
South transept rose window
.
7. Dynamic angles
.
![Notre-Dame Cross Section of Choir Cross Section of Transept and Choir](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Cross-Section-of-Choir.jpg?w=347&h=312&ssl=1)
Cross Section of Transept and Choir
![Notre-Dame Cross Section Cross Section](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Cross-Section.jpg?w=595&h=312&ssl=1)
Cross Section
![Notre-Dame Plan of Nave from East Notre-Dame Plan of Nave from East](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan-of-Nave-from-East.png?w=946&h=532&ssl=1)
![Notre-Dame Plan Notre-Dame Plan](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
![Notre-Dame Plan of Western Towers Plan of western towers](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan-of-Western-Towers.png?w=471&h=265&ssl=1)
Plan of western towers
![Notre-Dame Plan of Nave Plan of western end of nave](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan-of-Nave.png?w=361&h=203&ssl=1)
Plan of western end of nave
![Notre-Dame Plan and Hemicycle Notre-Dame Plan and Hemicycle](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan-and-Hemicycle.jpg?w=216&h=203&ssl=1)
![Notre-Dame Plan and North Facade Notre-Dame Plan and North Facade](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan-and-North-Facade.png?w=361&h=203&ssl=1)
![Notre-Dame Plan and South Facade Detail Notre-Dame Plan and South Facade Detail](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan-and-South-Facade-Detail.png?w=469&h=264&ssl=1)
![Notre-Dame Plan and South Facade Notre-Dame Plan and South Facade](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan-and-South-Facade.jpg?w=473&h=264&ssl=1)
![Notre-Dame Plan Detail Plan of crossing](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan-Detail.png?w=527&h=296&ssl=1)
Plan of crossing
![Notre-Dame Plan from Southwest Notre-Dame Plan from Southwest](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan-from-Southwest.jpg?w=415&h=296&ssl=1)
![Notre-Dame Nave from Below Plan of nave](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Nave-from-Below.png?w=946&h=532&ssl=1)
Plan of nave
![Notre-Dame Plan from Northeast Notre-Dame Plan from Northeast](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Plan-from-Northeast.jpg?w=946&h=617&ssl=1)
![Notre-Dame Cross Section from Below Cross Section of South Transept](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Cross-Section-from-Below.jpg?w=624&h=327&ssl=1)
Cross Section of South Transept
![Notre-Dame Cross Section of Nave Cross Section of Transept and Nave](https://i0.wp.com/www.myleszhang.org/files/2020/01/Notre-Dame-Cross-Section-of-Nave.jpg?w=318&h=327&ssl=1)
Cross Section of Transept and Nave
A model including the proposed design that finished the two main towers would be wonderful to see.