Cardboard cathedral for Christchurch, New Zealand

The cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand that was so badly damaged by the deadly 6.0 earthquake on 22 February 2011 that it is being demolished, is being replaced with a temporary cardboard structure.

Japanese “emergency architect” Shigeru Ban and his associate Yoshie Narimatsu have designed an A-frame building that will be constructed of 104 cardboard tubes and timber beams as a temporary structure. The A-frame nave will seat rise over 80 feet and will accommodate 700 worshippers.

Constructed on a concrete base, the A-frame will be stabilized with shipping containers. It is expected to cost $4 million (Cdn.) and to be used by the cathedral’s congregation for 10 years, after which it can be disassembled and re-used elsewhere.

Ban, who has donated his time, has designed other cardboard and paper buildings as emergency post-earthquake structures in Japan. The structures are quick to assemble, strong, lightweight and sustainable.