Cardboard Cathedral Planned In New Zealand

A temporary version of ChristChurch Cathedral in New Zealand is going to be built with cardboard. The original stone church was ruined last year in an earthquake that killed 185 people and destroyed much of the downtown.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- A cathedral made from cardboard.

The idea may sound flimsy, particularly given that cathedrals tend to be known for their solid presence: the flying buttresses, the soaring domes, the Gothic grandeur. But in the earthquake-devastated city of Christchurch, Anglican leaders believe it will deliver both a temporary solution and a statement about the city's recovery.

On Monday, they announced plans to build a 25-meter (82-foot) high cathedral constructed with 104 tubes of cardboard. The structure will be a temporary replacement for the iconic stone ChristChurch Cathedral, which was ruined last year in an earthquake that killed 185 people and destroyed much of the downtown.

The Rev. Craig Dixon, a church spokesman, said the temporary cathedral would seat 700 people, cost up to 5 million New Zealand dollars ($4.1 million), and would be used for 10 years while a permanent replacement is designed and built.

The Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, has used cardboard as a material for other temporary buildings, including a "paper church" which used as a community center after the 1995 Kobe earthquake in Japan.

Dixon said he hopes construction can begin within about six weeks and be completed by the end of the year.

"I think this building has the potential to become an icon in its own right," he said. "I think it will be greatly loved for a long time."

Dixon said the structure would be weatherproof and fire-resistant. He said the plan is to use traditional materials like concrete, steel and wood to provide structural support to the A-frame-style cathedral and an attached annex. Up to two dozen shipping containers inside would provide space for offices, a kitchen and storage, he added, while the roof would be made of an opaque polycarbonate material.

Richard Gray, the chairman of a church group that has been driving the project, said the cathedral will make a statement that Christchurch is moving forward, and that people are finding solutions that are not only innovative but also environmentally friendly – after all, he points out, the cathedral would be recyclable.

Anglican leaders in Christchurch have chosen a site in Latimer Square, about 300 meters (yards) from the ruins of the current cathedral and near where 115 people died when the Canterbury Television (CTV) building collapsed.

"It's very symbolic that it's across the road from the CTV building. It's very poignant," Gray said.

Anglican leaders have yet to submit their final plans to city officials, who would need to approve them before construction could begin. City officials did not respond to requests for comment Monday, although Gray said he's confident the church has done its due diligence and the project will be approved.

___

From our partners

• 6 People Saved By Their Enemies - www.cracked.com
• 25 Crazy Celebrity Workouts And Diets - Guyism.com
• Experts: Decriminalize ALL Drugs! - Newser.com

Comments

[richardlittleda]

03:35 PM on 04/18/2012

I welcome and applaud this creative regeneration of the cathedral. As I blogged earlier, the church is " is more temporary facility than permanent memorial" anyway. See more at "The Christchurch Phoenix":http://bit.ly/I2RFDE

[jonny dipstick]

10:07 AM on 04/17/2012

well as long as its recycled, I guess that is cool. I would like to go in there, but not for religious reasons. Mostly to get chicks.

[tlpfliger]

08:24 AM on 04/17/2012

...rain?

[manmi1]

06:44 AM on 04/17/2012

Perhaps we could build a new building to house congress made out of toilet paper.

[glitterpet]

11:40 PM on 04/16/2012

Great! Next, origami! ;)

[sinbad usn]

10:36 PM on 04/16/2012

Lets see now... They begin construction on the building, using cardboard. There will be this great, cardboard structure by the curb. Watch some UPS driver pick it up and deliver it to Singapore :0)

[Ozonator]

10:01 PM on 04/16/2012

From cardboard scientists -

Paid to make billions from terrorizing billions, “Climategate Heads to Court ... By S. Fred Singer ... One way or another, the truth will come out.  And when it does, we will witness a major earthquake that will encompass IPCC scientists, politicians in America and Europe, and the U.N.  Let's hope we don't have to wait too long for this to happen. ... S. Fred Singer is professor emeritus at the University of Virginia ... specialty is atmospheric and space physics ... is a senior fellow of the Heartland Institute” (the corporate “ho’ farm team of American Stinkers perfuming the stink at americanthinker.com, 4/5/12).

[glitterpet]

11:42 PM on 04/16/2012

Eh? Don't see the relation to this article, clarify?