The devastating February 2011 earthquake irreversibly damaged the main cathedral of Christchurch, New Zealand, shaking the faith of people. As the city is still recovering from the tragic disaster, a part of the faith was restored when Shigeru Ban, the famous Japanese architect, built a beautiful church out of cardboard, which opened its doors to the public August 6.
Ban was asked to build a temporary spiritual congregation place for the residents as the decision on rebuilding the Anglican Cathedral is still under review. The new paper church boasts of a triangular profile made of 98 cardboard tubes, all of the same size. The entrance roof of the church is adorned with "tessellating triangles, decorated with images from the original cathedral's rose window," reports Dezeen.
The cardboard tubes are held by wooden beams from the inside.
The foundation of the church has been made from shipping containers. All the materials are durable, fireproof, weatherproof and have a lifespan of about fifteen years. There were some concerns about the structure going soggy in the rain, but Ban said that the building was strong.
"The strength of the building has nothing to do with the strength of the material; even concrete buildings can be destroyed by earthquakes very easily. But paper buildings cannot be destroyed by earthquakes," Ban said to Designboom.
Check out the photos of the church, here.
The church can accommodate up to 700 people and looks solidly steady now. The church's first service will be held on Sunday, August 11. The project was delayed due to heavy rains and some construction issues but is now finished and looks terrific.
According to Stuff.com, a ceremony was held to mark the "changing hands of the structure" from the contractors to the Anglican diocese, Wednesday. The ceremony was opened by Bishop Victoria Matthews, who "spoke through tears as she welcomed a gathering into the almost-completed cathedral today, acknowledging the structure was testament to the fact ''the city has changed''."
Recently, another 6.5 magnitude quake had hit the capital, Wellington. Thankfully, there were no causalities and only some structural damage. However, it managed to induce panic and fear among the people.
New Zealand lies on the Ring of Fire, an area where large number of volcanoes and earthquakes occur. The line virtually covers the entire Pacific Rim. This makes the country more susceptible to frequent quakes. According to BBC, the region experiences more than 14,000 earthquakes in a year and only a few of them exceed a magnitude of 5.0 on the scale.
