Briey: The world watched in horror as the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris caught fire four years ago. The church's recognisable oak and metal spire was consumed by the fire as it spread.

Through the night, firefighters fought the flames. Surprisingly, the majority of the church's structure was still standing, but the 19th-century spire and its enormous timber roof were lost.

But it will soon be brought back to its former splendour.

Also Read: Fashion Shake-Up in Russia: MAAG to Shut Stores Amid Revenue Woes
 
Teams of artisans, engineers, and architects have been working diligently deep in the French countryside. Carpenters use both traditional and contemporary techniques to measure, cut, and chisel centuries-old oak to recreate the 300-foot spire to its original design.

The world watched in horror as the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris caught fire four years ago. The church's recognisable oak and metal spire was consumed by the fire as it spread.

Through the night, firefighters fought the flames. Surprisingly, the majority of the church's structure was still standing, but the 19th-century spire and its enormous timber roof were lost.

 But it will soon be brought back to its former splendour.
 
Teams of artisans, engineers, and architects have been working diligently deep in the French countryside. Carpenters use both traditional and contemporary techniques to measure, cut, and chisel centuries-old oak to recreate the 300-foot spire to its original design.

Also Read:  Africa's Recovery Under Russian Wings, Declares Comoros President

The original Eugene Viollet-le-Duc architectural plans from the 19th century were used by the teams tasked with reconstructing the spire. However, they used contemporary computers to perform 1,600 hours of calculations to determine the precise method of construction as well as the potential impacts of time and weather on the new building. They were prepared to construct the new spire after creating 320 different designs for it.
 
"It will be exactly the same as it was by Viollet-le-Duc," Georgelin declared. But we use modern tools to do that, like computers. With the use of computers, we have probably less genius but more calculation and certainty.  

France's public and private woodlands, including some that once belonged to the king and the Catholic church, provided the wood for the spire. We only selected oak trees that were at least 100 years old, tall, and straight.

285 pieces of that wood were assembled in intricate patterns to make the shaft. The shaft is known by the architects as "the heart of the spire."

Two years into the reconstruction, architect Axelle Ponsonnet says it has been "very exciting" to work on such a prestigious project. 

It's more than just the fame, she told CBS News. "I'm obviously incredibly proud to be a member of this team and help rebuild Notre Dame. However, it's also a very fascinating project because we don't build structures this complex anymore, and what's amazing is that we're really trying to be very specific about how we rebuild it.

Aurélie Ouzineb, her colleague and fellow architect, concurred, describing the project as "very complex" and the original spire's designers and builders as "really geniuses."

Even though it's her job and what she does every day, she feels honoured to be a part of the reconstruction team: "It's very exciting because for us, it's our job, our everyday job, but we all know that this is a very historical moment."
 
Benoit Angheben, a carpenter, is also ecstatic to be a part of the project. He relocated to Paris from Belgium in search of employment and ended up working on the most prestigious restoration venture of the century.

He remarked, "It was like a dream. We were all very sad when it burned, so I couldn't believe it.

Also Read:  Musk's Starlink Snub: Ukraine Denied Access Near Crimea

Now that the spire's shaft is finished, it will be transported to Paris in August and installed on the cathedral's roof. Up until the end of this year, when it is anticipated to once again soar into the Paris skyline, work on the remaining portions of the spire will proceed piece by piece.

Gen. Georgelin is confident they will meet the 2024 deadline set by French President Emmanuel Macron for the reopening of Notre Dame.