Cardboard Cathedral
A cathedral built from cardboard tubes after the 2011 earthquake, meant to last ten years and still standing.
Duration
30 min – 45 min
Best time
In the morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
The February 2011 earthquake destroyed Christchurch's Anglican cathedral and killed a hundred and eighty-five people. The Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who specialises in emergency construction, proposed a temporary cathedral in cardboard tubes — a material he has used in disaster zones since Kobe.
Ninety-eight reinforced cardboard tubes, six hundred seats, built in a year and opened in 2013. It was to last ten years while the original was restored; the restoration fell behind, and the cardboard cathedral is still the city's church.
Getting there
Corner of Hereford and Madras streets, ten minutes on foot from Cathedral Square. The centre is all walkable.
Rules on site
It is a working church: it closes to visitors during services and concerts. The memorial of 185 white chairs, two minutes away, completes the visit and is done straight after.