During World War I, Reims suffered several German bombardments. On September 19, 1914, the city's cathedral experienced a massive fire. Twenty years were needed to restore the building, which is still undergoing renovations today. Between 1924 and 1926, the architect Henri Deneux conceived and installed a new framework in reinforced concrete for the cathedral. He first thought about using a metal structure, but it would have been too heavy. Inspired by a technique elaborated by Philibert Delorme in the 16th century, Deneux created and assembled 18,000 small, easily transportable concrete pieces in his workshops.