The fire has gutted the oak-framed structure and sent its 300-foot spire crashing through its vaulted ceiling.

Architect Ho Thieu Tri

French President Emmanuel Macron promised the nation that Notre Dame would be rebuilt – and be “more beautiful than before” – within five years, a timetable many experts consider impossible.

He announced the launch of an international architectural competition to redesign the roofline of Notre Dame Cathedral.

The international competition is aimed to seek solutions that France should recreate the spire or endow Notre-Dame with a new spire.

Regarding the new spire construction, he took France’s Louvre Museum as an example.

The French government built a pyramid-shaped work in the middle of the museum, which initially stirred controversy.

According to Tri, the restoration of the spire is possible, but this would take time and resources.

He said he will apply for the contest. "I had lots of memories with the cathedral after living in France for many years. I and my colleagues are working on ideas for the competition,” he noted.

The veteran architect Tri, 74, is well known in Vietnam. He lived in France for many years and designed several buildings.

He participated in the restoration of Hanoi Opera House and received prizes from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Construction and the Vietnamese Architects’ Association.