Cardboard Cathedral

Story

The Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand, is the transitional pro-cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch opened in August 2013. It was designed by architect Shigeru Ban and seats around 700 people.The site, on the corner of Hereford and Madras Streets in Latimer Square, is several blocks from the permanent location of ChristChurch Cathedral, which was significantly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.LocationThe building is on a section allocated to the Anglican church in Christchurch's original 1850 survey opposite Latimer Square. It was originally the site of St John the Baptist Church, the first church built in permanent materials by Anglicans in Christchurch, which was demolished after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The St John parish gave the land, and in return can use the building and will keep it once a permanent cathedral can be used.HistoryFollowing the earthquakes, Shigeru Ban was invited to Christchurch by Rev. Craig Dixon, the cathedral's marketing and development manager, to discuss a temporary cathedral that could also host concerts and civic events. The concept was developed during that visit. Ban, who is characterised as a "disaster architect", designed the building pro bono; Ban collaborated with Christchurch architecture firm Warren and Mahoney.