Medieval architects "reached for the sky" with their ever more daring search for light and height. Occasional structural failures forced innovation and resulted in the discovery of the strength and beauty of flying buttresses.
In the aftermath of the fire, there was a desperate scramble to strengthen these with huge, ugly struts and wedges. Happily this succeeded before post destruction wind and rain could weaken the walls to a dangerous level.
I was holding my breath with the engineers, when they finally decide to withdraw these security measures. I thought that this would not be for some years yet. To my amazement they have already started to take them down near the front of the building, as my latest images from January 2025 show.
In the aftermath of the fire, there was a desperate scramble to strengthen these with huge, ugly struts and wedges. Happily this succeeded before post destruction wind and rain could weaken the walls to a dangerous level.
I was holding my breath with the engineers, when they finally decide to withdraw these security measures. I thought that this would not be for some years yet. To my amazement they have already started to take them down near the front of the building, as my latest images from January 2025 show.
© Paul Grayson Photeinos.com