More Churches in Christchurch

 "... the only cathedral in the world made substantially of cardboard." 

After logging a geocache or two (our requirement) and shopping (OFD's requirement) we walked to the Cardboard Cathedral. On the way we discovered our lunch stop The Church. I wrote about it in a previous blog post.

sculpture in Latimer Square

old lamp post in Latimer Square &

the cardboard cathedral across the street

"In February 2011, Christchurch suffered a devastating earthquake which destroyed large parts of the city, killing 185 people and injuring many more. During the quake, the tower of the original neo-Gothic Cathedral collapsed. (Christchurch Cathedral) Further aftershocks destroyed the iconic rose window and cracked the whole Cathedral like a plate." (No one lost their life in the Cathedral.)

"A few weeks after the earthquake, one of the Cathedral staff saw an article in a NZ design magazine about a Japanese "emergency architect" called Shigeru Ban. After the Kobe earthquake, he designed a cardboard church to replace one which had been destroyed. Shigeru Ban visited Christchurch and offered to design a cardboard cathedral. It is made of cardboard, local wood, and steel with a polished concrete floor and a strong polycarbonate roof. It is built to 130% of the current New Zealand earthquake code, making it very safe. It is designed to last for at least 50 years, and it will eventually become the parish church of St. John in Latimer Square, when a permanent Cathedral is built again in Cathedral Square.

The design is quite simple, with waves of cardboard tubes drawing the eye and attention towards the cross and the altar. At full capacity, it seats nearly 700 people, yet it has a remarkable sense of both space and intimacy. The Cathedral hosts more than 750 regular worship services each year, offering praise to God in words, music, ritual and symbol and in quiet contemplation." - brochure from Transitional Cathedral

A service was about to begin, so our wandering and photo taking was minimal. Rebuilding the church began in July 2012. The cardboard church opened to the public in August 2013.

It has 96 cardboard tubes, reinforced with laminated wood beams and "coated with waterproof polyurethane and flame retardants" with two-inch gaps between them so that light can filter inside. The sides of the building are formed from eight shipping containers. Instead of replacing the one rose window, triangular pieces of stained glass create the front of the church.

photo of St. John the Baptist Church after the 2011 earthquake

(photo from Wikipedia)

During the earthquake St. John the Baptist Church was also destroyed. The Cardboard Church was built on the location of the 1865 Anglican stone church. Today the parish of St. John worships in Alban until the Cathedral can once again hold services in the center of Cathedral Square and the Cardboard Church can become the parish home of St. John the Baptist Church.

The Cardboard Church is located on the original 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 Christchurch Cathedral can be used. 

Christchurch Cathedral before the 2011 earthquake

The cathedral was built in 1864-1904 in the center of Christchurch and surrounded by a plaza, Cathedral Square, where we did most of our shopping that day at local kiosks featuring locally made handcrafts.

Christchurch Cathedral today

Earthquakes in 1881, 1888, 1901, 1922, and 2010 repeatedly damaged the church, mostly the church spire. The 2011 earthquake destroyed the spire, the upper portion of the tower and severely damaged the rest of the building. The Anglican Church decided to destroy the building and build a new one, but religious and government politics delayed rebuilding until mid 2019. For now, the parish worships at the Cardboard Cathedral, giving it the title Christchurch Transitional Cathedral. 

On our way to Latimer Square and the Cardboard Church we happened upon an enclosed shopping area. We must check it out, says OFD!

Oh My Gosh! The Christchurch Tram runs through the covered shopping area! I think we found some more items to buys, too.

We did not ride the tram, preferring to walk to our destinations in Christchurch.