Inspiring Interiors #5
Our fourth Inspiring Interior is from New Zealand, and comes in the shape of the 'cardboard cathedral' in Christchurch.
The cardboard cathedral is ostensibly a temporary building, made as a short-term replacement for the original iconic stone cathedral for which Christchurch is known all over the world. After 130 years and four earthquakes, the old cathedral finally succumbed to its final battering during the devastating earthquake of 2011, and now sits partly in ruins, with no plans afoot to rebuild it.
Whats left of the old building which is now home to pigeons lies unused and remains in a state of flux as it finds itself embroiled in legal disputes.
m/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/This is largely the temporary structure that sits in place of the old stone cathedral has its fair share of admirers, with many of the opinion that it should remain the permanent centrepiece of Christchurch. Why? Well, having been designed by award-winning Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, the temporary structure has become famous around the world for its innovative design.
Materials
A distinctly modern, yet somehow unmistakeably ecclesiastical building, the latter aesthetic no doubt emphasised by the presence of triangular pieces of stained glass, the building is constructed to 130% of the current earthquake standard, and would be expected to last 50 years.
Rising 21 metres above the altar, the structure is made from materials which include cardboard tubes with a 60-centimetre diameter, in addition to wood and steel, while the roof is made from polycarbonate, and its walls are formed from eight shipping containers. The 96 cardboard tubes are reinforced with beams made from laminated wood which is coated with flame retardants and polyurethane. The structure sits on a concrete base, while 39,000 metres of steel is embedded in the structure to help keep it solid.
Costs
The project was expected to cost NZ $5 million (£2 million), but cost escalations raised the final cost of the project to more than NZ $6 million.
Time taken to build
Work commenced in the spring of 2012, and was expected to be completed by Christmas the same year, but after numerous delays the building finally opened in August 2013.
Reception
There has been much dispute over the new structure, much of which stems from the Dioceses plans to demolish instead of rebuilding the old stone cathedral building. While some have labelled the design kitsch, others say that it stays true to the history of Christchurch, while also looking to the future. Indeed, the cardboard cathedral was named as one of the primary reasons to visit Christchurch in 2013, by Lonely Planet.
