cardboard cathedral

(the original church after the earthquake)

cardboard cathedral by architects shigeru ban. christchurch, new zealand. 

just over two years after the crippling 6.3 magnitude earthquake that ravished the new zealand town of christchurch, shigeru ban's cardboard cathedral is officially open to the public. with an expected lifespan of 50 years, the temporary cathedral will serve as a replacement for the city's iconic 1864 anglican cathedral - one of christchurch's most prized landmarks - until a more permanent structure is built.

the cardboard cathedral, constructed as a simple a-frame structure from 98 equally sized cardboard tubes & 8 steel shipping containers, is said to be one of the safest, earthquake-proof buildings in christchurch. aside from the building's structural integrity, each paper tube is coated with polyurethane & flame retardants while protected by a semi-transparent, polycarbonate roof.