3D Printed Model April 2019
Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris
In a fitting tribute to the world-renowned cathedral following its partial destruction in a fire on April 25, Notre Dame de Paris was chosen as this month’s featured 3D printed model. Beloved by both the people of France and countless others around the world, Notre Dame holds a special place in history as the epicenter of French culture and an icon of humanity. The initial construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1160 AD and while the main structure was largely completed a century later, innovations in construction and the shifting preferences of those in power meant the cathedral as we know it was not completed until the mid-14th century. Typical of French Gothic architecture, the building features soaring windows, ribbed vaulted ceilings, flying buttresses, and its signature rose windows. On the exterior of the building, key biblical stories chiseled in stone cover the faҫade and gargoyles spew water from the towers during storms. The cathedral has survived wars and revolutions and seen numerous additions and renovations for nearly a millennium. It has been incredible, though controversial, to witness the collective fund-raising efforts to help rebuild Notre Dame after April’s tragedy. The model below comes from myminifactory (thanks miniworld3d!) and was printed in ABS filament. Although the real cathedral took approximately 200 years to complete, the print version took around 27 hours thanks to its 1:900 scale.