Microsoft to create digital replica of Notre-Dame Cathedral
PARIS
U.S. tech giant Microsoft has announced a partnership with the French government to build a digital replica of Notre-Dame Cathedral, France’s most visited monument, offering both a precise archival record of the Gothic structure and a virtual experience for global audiences.
The initiative follows the reopening of the 862-year-old cathedral in December, after a five-year restoration prompted by a massive fire in 2019. According to Microsoft President Brad Smith, the project aims to digitally preserve every architectural detail of the UNESCO-listed landmark, which has stood as a symbol of French cultural identity and literary heritage since Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.”
The digital twin, Microsoft said, will not only allow people to explore the cathedral remotely but also aid in long-term conservation efforts. “One of the things we learned from the work at St. Peter's is how a digital twin can help support the ongoing maintenance of a building,” Smith told Reuters, referencing a previous collaboration with French company Iconem to replicate St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. “Because you capture a digital record of every centimeter and what is there and what it's supposed to look like.”
He added, “The ability to create a digital twin right now will provide an enormously valuable digital record that I believe people are going to be using 100 years from now.”
Since 2019, Microsoft has supported the digital preservation of several cultural heritage sites and events, including Ancient Olympia in Greece, Mont Saint-Michel in France and the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy.
