Paris zinc roofers selected for Unesco heritage nomination

France’s ministry of culture has selected Paris’ iconic zinc roofers as the country’s nomination for the Unesco intangible heritage list this year.

The zingueurs and the roofs they make have been chosen for their role in making Paris’ skyline unique, alongside their cultural and architectural impact. 

“When you see Paris from above, you can tell you are not in any other city,” said mayor of the ninth arrondissement Delphine Bürkli, a supporter of the bid.

It is one of 67 nominations from around the world looking to be added to Unesco’s list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritages’.

These are not necessarily buildings or natural sites (as the World Heritage Sites are) but cultural activities such as festivals, or a craft or process seen to represent a particular people or region of the world. 

Previous entries from France to the list include the nation’s cuisine as a whole, lace-making in the Normandy area of Alençon, traditional Breton dances, and the baguette. 

Read more: French baguette-making practices added to Unesco intangible heritage

Unesco will decide on which of the 67 nominations is added to the list during a summit in Asuncion, Paraguay, this December. 

Roofers not roofs focus of nomination

Various associations and politicians have been trying for at least 10 years to get Paris’ roofs and roofers added to the list, including Ms Bürkli, who first supported an attempt in 2014. 

Originally, the nomination wanted to focus mostly on the already-constructed roofs themselves – more than 20 million m² of the capital's 32 million m² of roofs are made of zinc and other similar materials. 

 Read more: Paris zinc roof workers explain what makes their work so special

The city stopped backing such bids, however, as they were concerned restrictions from Unesco would see future construction in the city become too difficult. 

Current proposals therefore focus more on the profession itself, which despite its importance to making the city look how it does today, is seeing a lack of workers among its ranks. 

“Every morning in Paris there is a shortage of around 500 roofers to do the job,” said Mériadec Aulanier, a delegate of the union that represents workers. 

It is hoped that by adding the roofs to the list of cultural heritages, more people will be enthused to join the profession. 

The roofs, however, have come in for criticism in the past, noted for their role in making Parisian properties warm. 

Zinc – especially when it is darker – is a strong absorbent of heat, meaning in summer buildings retain the sun’s rays, and in the smaller flats and chambres de bonnes on the top floor, temperatures can reach dangerously high. 

One potential solution would be to coat the zinc roofs with a lighter paint that reflects more of the sun’s light, but this would be a mammoth task, and potentially change the iconic Paris landscape .

Read more: Rules for guttering and collecting rainwater in France