Notre Dame roof reimagined as a giant greenhouse

Just a week after Notre Dame went up in flames, ideas around how to redesign the historic cathedral’s spire have already started cropping up, including this leafy concept from Studio NAB.

The French architecture studio showed off its design to turn the damaged roof of the cathedral into a giant greenhouse, complete with an apiary that takes the place of the spire. (some 180,000 bees that had been kept in wooden boxes on the cathedral’s roof survived the fire). The renderings show a gabled roof perched atop the stately church; its golden-hued steel frame is filled with glass panels.

Inside, the architects envision rows of planters built from burnt wood from the old church’s attic. The greenhouse and apiary would act as an education hub where people can learn about horticulture and urban agriculture.

Rendering: Studio NAB

Rendering: Studio NAB

This concept comes after a similarly glassy vision from Foster + Partners, whose design has been compared to an Apple Store. Stay tuned as the Notre Dame restoration efforts unfold.