A prominent name in Gothic history is Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, a Parisienne architect known largely for his Neo-Gothic renovations of original Gothic structures. His philosophy of restoration was that, “(t)o restore a building is not to maintain it, repair it, or remake it: it is to re-establish it in a complete state which may never have existed at any given moment.” His re-establishments placed emphasis on remodeling from the structural bones out to insuring the building lasted for years more and keeping the building, including previous modifications, as similar as possible — with the single caveat of past changes that had comprised the structural stability. He maintained that the changes made need to be backed with architectural and archeological evidence to support the change. Despite his stringent philosophy, he was at times criticized for remodeling buildings more in the Gothic spirit than in keeping true to the building itself.
He started renovating in his early 20s, over the years he oversaw projects on many monuments such as Basilique of Saint-Denis, Notre-Dame de Paris, Saint-Chapelle, and Amiens Cathedral. He traveled around France constantly, visiting different projects he was either in charge of or asked to advise on. After Napoleon III came to power, Leduc’s patron was in close contact to the emperor, which brought Leduc and his restorations to the court’s attention. He received charge of restoring numerous chateaus and walled towns, while still continuing with previous projects — Notre-Dame de Paris alone was a twenty-five-year-long commitment.
Later in life, he turned to writing about architecture and exploring the Alps. His previous commitment to pure Gothic styles began to morph as he warmed to newer methodologies in construction, such as the use of iron. His theology became focused around, “Form follows function,” the concept that architecture should be adapted to what the space is needed for, rather than decorating a space than using it as best as possible.
