New Zealand’s Anglican church will build a temporary cathedral made of cardboard in earthquake- devastated Christchurch as it works towards a permanent replacement for its 131-year old landmark destroyed last year.
The Victorian-era, Gothic-style cathedral, which dominated the city’s central square, was badly damaged in the February 2011 quake and is being demolished.
The replacement, an A-frame structure designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, will be built on the site of another historic church, which was also destroyed in the 6.3 magnitude quake.
“The transitional cathedral is a symbol of hope for the future of this city as well as being sustainable and affordable,” according to spokesman Richard Gray.
The temporary cathedral will be made of cardboard tubes, timber beams, structural steel and a concrete pad and is intended to last more than 20 years. It is expected to be finished in time for Christmas services.
Ban is known for his reinforced paper and cardboard structures and designed a similar “paper church” after the 1995 Kobe earthquake.
Thousands of tremors have delayed any concerted rebuilding of Christchurch. – (Reuters)