Cardboard Cathedral, Christchurch (must see)
The dust from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake had barely settled when the well known Japanese "disaster architect" Shigaru Ban was invited to Christchurch to design a temporary cathedral. The cathedral needed to be capable of holding concerts and events as well as services. Ban created the design pro bono.
The "Cardboard Cathedral" is an A-frame style building. The roof is 69 feet above the altar. Materials include wood, steel, and 96 24-inch diameter waterproof cardboard tubes. Eight shipping containers provide the walls and the roof is polycarbonate. The foundation is a concrete slab. The cathedral can hold up to 700 people.
It is the only cathedral in the world made substantially of cardboard. Its environmentally conscious use of paper tubes as an architectural material has drawn acclaims from around the world.
Lonely Planet named Christchurch one of the "top 10 cities to travel" in October 2012, and the cathedral was cited as one of the reasons that makes the city an exciting place.
The "Cardboard Cathedral" is an A-frame style building. The roof is 69 feet above the altar. Materials include wood, steel, and 96 24-inch diameter waterproof cardboard tubes. Eight shipping containers provide the walls and the roof is polycarbonate. The foundation is a concrete slab. The cathedral can hold up to 700 people.
It is the only cathedral in the world made substantially of cardboard. Its environmentally conscious use of paper tubes as an architectural material has drawn acclaims from around the world.
Lonely Planet named Christchurch one of the "top 10 cities to travel" in October 2012, and the cathedral was cited as one of the reasons that makes the city an exciting place.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Christchurch. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The GPSmyCity App
Cardboard Cathedral on Map
Sight Name: Cardboard Cathedral
Sight Location: Christchurch, New Zealand (See walking tours in Christchurch)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Christchurch, New Zealand (See walking tours in Christchurch)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Christchurch, New Zealand
Create Your Own Walk in Christchurch
Creating your own self-guided walk in Christchurch is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Christchurch Introduction Walking Tour
Captain James Cook was not the first person to discover New Zealand. There is evidence that the Christchurch area was visited by groups of moa-hunting people as early as 1250 AD.
They were followed by the Waitaha from the east coast of the North Island in the 16th century. In a series of wars Waitaha were displaced by the Ngati Mamoe, who in turn were conquered by the Ngai Tahu. The Europeans... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
They were followed by the Waitaha from the east coast of the North Island in the 16th century. In a series of wars Waitaha were displaced by the Ngati Mamoe, who in turn were conquered by the Ngai Tahu. The Europeans... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Statues and Memorials Tour
Although Christchurch is not very large, it has a wealth of public art heritage. Although ravaged by a powerful earthquake in 2011, which caused severe damage to many local attractions, Christchurch nonetheless has retained much of its charm and has a lot to offer visitors in terms of sightseeing. Indeed, there is no shortage of beautiful buildings, parks, gardens and other places of interest... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles