With the Notre Dame design competition well underway participants and submission ideas are flowing in. Although many submission ideas poke fun at the possibilities of what the new design could be, some firms are looking at the competition as an opportunity. Norman Foster of Foster + Partners shared this thoughts for what the cathedral's new roof and spire could look like. However, when the rendered image, created by The Times, based on his feedback, made its way to social media, the public took to commenting with much criticism.

Notre-Dame competition an extraordinary opportunity, says Norman Foster. https://t.co/uQxmDZgHbz pic.twitter.com/FPpQgUmckF — Royal Fine Art (@RoyalFineArt) April 20, 2019

The new cathedral spire is said to be made of glass and steel with the possibility of also having a built-in observation deck at the base of the spire. Foster views the competition as an opportunity to view the spire rebuild as a way to utilize the "technology of the age [...] The decision to hold a competition for the rebuilding of Notre Dame is to be applauded because it is an acknowledgment of that tradition of new interventions.” Although Foster's enthusiasm may seem genuine the public's reaction online is anything but positive.

Since its posting Twitter followers have shared their two cents on this "modernization scheme." Comments of the new spire idea express a mixture of feedback from those in the profession as well as the self-proclaimed "architectural enthusiasts."

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UPDATE: This article has been edited to clarify that the rendering of Foster's proposal was created by The Times, based on Lord Norman Foster's feedback. The rendering was not created by Foster + Partners, as they have not developed any design proposals thus far.