New Look Cathedral Unveiled

Christchurch’s new cathedral, which will be made of cardboard and will house 700 people, is due for completion in April next year. The city’s magnificent Gothic revival cathedral hewn from local basalt was irreparably damaged in the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that claimed 185 lives on 22 February 2011. The Anglican Church commissioned Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, 55, to draw up plans for a place of worship to house Christchurch’s faithful. Built from 24-inch diameter cardboard tubes coated with waterproof polyurethane and flame-retardants it will be a simple A-frame structure. “It will be a huge milestone towards recovery for Christchurch,” project manager Johnny McFarlane said. “It’s going to be a great building to walk into, it’s very light and airy and gives a good sense of dominance and scale.”