Notre Dame Reopens: The Hidden Impact on Its Iconic Soundscapes

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has been restored after a devastating fire in 2019. As part of its reopening, researchers are studying the acoustics of the space to understand how it sounds now compared to before the fire.

The fire that ravaged Notre Dame in 2019 had a significant impact on its acoustics. Before the fire, the cathedral was reverberant, meaning that noises would hang in the air for seconds at a time due to sound waves bouncing off the walls and other surfaces inside the massive space. However, the fire left holes in the vaulted ceiling and debris and ash littering the floor, quashing the reverberance.

After repairs to the structure and cleaning to remove toxic lead and other dust released in the fire, the cathedral is closer to its previous self. The restoration efforts have included removing residual absorption caused by years of dust and dirt from surfaces inside the cathedral.

Researchers who visited the cathedral at the end of September reported that it was \”pretty reverberant\” even with ongoing construction work. They expect the cathedral to be more reverberant now compared to before the fire due to its exceptional cleanliness after the restoration efforts.

Acoustics researcher Brian Katz explained that good acoustics in a space like Notre Dame depend on various factors, including musical style and what is considered an appropriate reverberation. He noted that even minor changes to the space, such as wall hangings or carpeting, can alter its acoustics.

Katz and his team are planning to conduct more measurements in the cathedral soon to assess its current state of acoustics. They also have an animated film titled \”Vaulted Harmonies\” that celebrates the history of Notre Dame’s acoustics, which will premiere on January 24 as part of UNESCO’s Week of Sound.

For more information about the acoustics of Notre Dame and its reopening, readers can refer to related articles, such as \”How to restore the legendary acoustics of Notre Dame\” by Emily Conover (January 12, 2020) and \”Scientists embrace a cathedral’s rebirth\” by Nancy Shute (January 12, 2020).

This article was based on an interview with Brian Katz, conducted by Science News. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The restoration efforts have aimed to restore the cathedral to its previous state. Researchers have been studying the sonic qualities of the space, including echoes and reverberations, both after the restoration and in different eras of the cathedral’s history.