Should you try to modernize one of most beautiful landmarks the world?

No, says the French Senate, which has adopted legislation mandating that the partially burned Notre Dame cathedral be restored to exactly the way it was before a fire gutted the 800-year-old building on April 15.

According to the legislation, it must be rebuilt to reflect its "last known visual state" before the fire. If any materials are used that are different from those originally used in constructing the building, a study must be presented explaining the change.

Monday's adoption of the legislation adds to the tension over the cathedral's rebuilding. In the weeks following the cathedral fire, the French public debated whether to reimagine or reconstruct the building in a new, modern way, or to rebuild it as it was.

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French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe had announced a competition to redesign the cathedral's spire, which burned and collapsed during the fire. At the time, he said officials would decide whether to replicate the original spire or create a new one.

The Senate's restoration bill is an attempt to stop any modern renovation of the cathedral. The legislation also sets up a national subscription fund for the cathedral's restoration under the authority of French President Emmanuel Macron. Experts estimate that the total restoration cost could exceed $1 billion.

More:Views of the Notre Dame Cathedral before, after, and during blaze

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Next Tuesday, a joint session of the French National Assembly and the Senate will convene to agree on a final version of the bill before it can become law.