Cathedral Talk

Tom, David, and Zack discuss the April 15, 2019 fire at Notre-Dame de Paris which destroyed the wooden roof and spire, leaving the cathedral heavily damaged.  Tom explores modeling Notre-Dame in Minecraft, investigating details about the gothic edifice that make the cathedral surprisingly asymmetrical.SEE: Notre-Dame Floor Plan & ElevationTom quizzes David and Zack on which famous monuments from around the globe receive the most tourists per year.  The selection of monuments for this activity includes the following.SEE: Famous Monuments from Around the Globe

David and Zack explore Tom's early Notre-Dame Minecraft builds.SEE: Tom’s “Ship of Theseus” Notre-Dame buildThe gents discuss different restoration proposals for the Notre-Dame from over the past two years.SEE: 8 Modern redesigns for Notre-Dame’s spireSEE: 17 More redesigns for Notre-Dame’s spireSEE: Miysis Studios’ redesign for Notre-Dame’s spire and roofTom rejoices that Notre-Dame will be restored to its pre-fire Viollet-le-Duc form while weighing the pros and cons of traditional building materials.SEE: Notre-Dame to be rebuilt in its 19th c. formSEE: French Oaks to be used for Notre-Dame’s spireSEE: Carpenters build medieval wooden trusses for Notre-Dame’s new roof

The gents discuss building snow forts back in the day and investigate the world record for the World’s Largest Snow Fort.SEE: SnowCastle of KemiSEE: Dillon Ice CastlesLatest updates surrounding the Caves & Cliffs Update to Minecraft:SEE: Minecraft Java Edition 1.17 UpdateTom explains the difference between cathedrals and basilicas, as well as their origins and derivations.SEE: Archbasilica of Saint John LateranSEE: Comprehensive List of CathedralsSEE: Comprehensive List of BasilicasTom quizzes Zack and David upon significant vocabulary regarding cathedral groundplans.SEE: Cathedral Groundplan Vocabulary

Off-topic, Tom groans about plot holes in children’s media while David and Zack briefly discuss stage musicals. Tom then recalls two trips to Chartres Cathedral, a French-gothic sister cathedral to Notre-Dame de Paris—the first trip in 2007 before restoration work was initiated and a second trip ten years later in 2017 after major restoration work was applied. The gents debate the merits and detriments of Chartres’ restoration and ponder possible ramifications that may also be relevant for Notre-Dame’s restoration.SEE: Chartres CathedralSEE: Chartres Pre & Post-Restoration + Notre-Dame, St. Paul’s, and National Cathedral Images

David and Zack explore Tom's preliminary work on the new Avalon server build for the 2:1 scale model of Notre-Dame de Paris.SEE: Minecraft Notre-Dame Phase 1.1 – Chevet Base Buttresses and WallSEE: Notre-Dame’s Groundplan – Original vs. Present-DaySEE: Grian’s Demonstration of Block Palettes for Building Mega BasesTom shares news and insights from the panel discussion at the French Embassy on developments with the restoration at Notre-Dame, commemorating the two-year anniversary of the April 15 fire.SEE: French Embassy Panel – Notre-Dame de Paris: Rebuilding a Legacy