In the series of somewhat knee-jerk responses to climate catastrophe that are hailing down to fill the void left by lack of proper policy, it’s been suggested that we should avoid demolishing buildings wherever possible.

So, can I suggest that every building aims to have nine lives, or at least a few? I’ve found one that has notched up three so far and, in its last iteration, stands as a triumph of clever structure, elegant design and, by default, sustainability.

Notre-Dame du Travail is a Parisian church of rare quality and it was a favourite of that dedicated francophile Ian Nairn. It was, he wrote in the mid 1960s, tucked round the “grey backside” of the Gare Montparnasse which was then particularly hellish as the demolition and construction for a major autoroute was underway. (Ironically another vile wave – this time of commercial development – is again bedevilling the station and its surroundings.)

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