Greenhouse proposed to replace Notre Dame roof

Architects submit designs for restoration of structure destroyed by fire

Design submissions for the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral include a proposal for a glasshouse to be built in place of the old, wooden roof.

Parts of the original structure were destroyed in a fire earlier in April, prompting the French prime minister, Eduoard Phillipe, to invite architects to design a replacement that is “adapted to the techniques and challenges of our era".

In response, Paris based architects Studio NAB submitted a design that is adapted to perhaps the greatest challenge of our era: climate change.

The proposed roof would be built of glass and its exterior would follow the shape of the previous one. However where there was once a tangle of wooden support beams inside, there would be rows of trees and flowers.

The spire too would be replaced with a green alternative. Inspired by the three beehives that survived the fire, the new spire would serve as an apiary, housing dozens of hives.

Studio NAB's offering follows proposals from a variety of other architects that range from the practical to the ambitious to the bizarre.

The Independent has compiled the proposed designs in the gallery above.