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Shigeru Ban's cardboard cathedral in Christchurch is finally complete, and the first service was held on Sunday August 11th, 2013. The incredible cardboard structure is a temporary replacement for an Anglican church cathedral that was destroyed in the February, 2011 earthquake that rocked the New Zealand town. It can hold up to 700 people and it's expected to last the 50 years it will take to build a new church.
Beloved for his numerous contributions to disaster relief and design in general, Japanese architect Shigeru Ban uses cardboard as a construction material in residential, commercial, and public architecture in order to reduce construction waste.
Contrary to what one might think, the effect is striking. The Christchurch Cathedral is made with 98 cardboard tubes wrapped around a screen of colorful, triangular glass windows.
Stained glass detail.
Exterior detail.
Image by Jocelyn Kinghorn
Below are a series of recycled shipping containers used for chapels and storage space.
The church under construction.
Study model.
The site before construction.
