Cardboard Cathedral

Last updated

Cardboard Cathedral
Transitional Cathedral
Christchurch Cardboard Cathedral 1 (31310889165).jpg
The Cardboard Cathedral in 2016
Cardboard Cathedral
43°31′56.1″S172°38′34.3″E / 43.532250°S 172.642861°E / -43.532250; 172.642861
Location Christchurch Central City
CountryNew Zealand
Denomination Anglican
Website Official website
History
DedicatedAugust 2013
Architecture
Architect(s) Shigeru Ban
Construction costNZ$5m
Specifications
Number of floorsone
Materials cardboard tubes, timber, steel
Clergy
Bishop(s) Peter Carrell

The Cardboard Cathedral, formally called the Transitional Cathedral, in Christchurch, New Zealand, is the transitional pro-cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch, replacing ChristChurch Cathedral, which was significantly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The Cardboard Cathedral was designed by the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and opened in August 2013. It is located on the site of the former St John the Baptist Church on the corner of Hereford and Madras Streets in Latimer Square, several blocks from the permanent location of ChristChurch Cathedral.

Contents

Location

The building is on a section allocated to the Anglican church in Christchurch's original 1850 survey opposite Latimer Square. [1] It was originally the 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. [2] The St John parish gave the land, and in return can use the building and will keep it once a permanent cathedral can be used. [3]

History

Construction details; cardboard, wood and glass Cardboard, wood and glass.jpg
Construction details; cardboard, wood and glass
Cathedral interior Cardboard Cathedral a touch of purple.jpg
Cathedral interior

Following the earthquakes, Shigeru Ban was invited to Christchurch by Rev. Craig Dixon, the cathedral's marketing and development manager, to discuss a temporary cathedral that could also host concerts and civic events. The concept was developed during that visit. [3] Ban, who is characterised as a "disaster architect", designed the building pro bono , [4] in collaboration with Christchurch architecture firm Warren and Mahoney. [5]

Initially it was hoped to have the cathedral open in February 2012 for the first earthquake anniversary. [3] [6] A-frame in style, rising 24 metres (79 ft), it incorporated 86 cardboard tubes of 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) each atop 6 metres (20 ft) long containers. [6] However, it was not until April 2012 that the site was blessed, [5] and construction began on 24 July 2012. [7] Once the decision had been made that the building would remain for St John parish, it was constructed as a permanent structure. [3]

At the same time as the site blessing, controversy raged about the Anglican diocese having applied to Christchurch City Council for an annual maintenance grant of NZ$240,000. Such a maintenance grant had for many years been given for ChristChurch Cathedral, but with the Diocese determined to demolish it there was widespread opposition to an ongoing grant, and city councillors declined the request. [5] [8]

The Great Christchurch Building Trust (GCBT), co-chaired by former MPs Jim Anderton and Philip Burdon, took the Anglican Church to the High Court, to determine whether the decision to demolish ChristChurch Cathedral breached an Act of Parliament that protects church buildings, and whether an insurance payout for ChristChurch Cathedral can be used for the transitional cathedral. [9] In November 2012, the church began fund-raising to pay for the NZ$5 million project following the judge indicating it may not be legal to build a temporary cathedral using the insurance payout, [10] which the judge confirmed as illegal in April 2013. [9]

Exposed cardboard that had become wet before the building was fully enclosed was removed and replaced. [11] While construction was expected to be completed by Christmas 2012, [7] it was pushed back several times. [12] In February 2013, the NZ$5.3 million budget had increased to NZ$5.9 million because of cost escalations. [4]

Following the numerous delays the church hierarchy became secretive about the opening date and The Press reported on 2 August 2013 that the date was still unknown, [13] only for an opening ceremony to be held later that day for a small number of invited guests. The contractor handed a symbolic key made from cardboard to the bishop. [14]

The building opened to the public on 6 August 2013 with a dedication service on 15 August. [15] It was the first significant building opened as part of Christchurch's rebuild. [3]

Architecture

Shigeru Ban, the church's architect Shigeru Ban.jpg
Shigeru Ban, the church's architect

The building rises 21 metres (69 ft) above the altar. Materials used include 60-centimetre (24 in)-diameter cardboard tubes, timber and steel. [16] The roof is of polycarbon, [11] with eight shipping containers forming the walls. The foundation is concrete slab. The architect wanted the cardboard tubes to be the structural elements, but local manufacturers could not produce tubes thick enough and importing the cardboard was rejected. [12] The 96 tubes, reinforced with laminated wood beams, are "coated with waterproof polyurethane and flame retardants" with two-inch gaps between them so that light can filter inside. Instead of a replacement rose window, the building has triangular pieces of stained glass. [17] The building seats around 700 people. It serves as a conference venue as well as a cathedral. [4]

The Wizard of New Zealand, one of the strongest critics of the Diocese for wanting to demolish ChristChurch Cathedral and who had been a daily speaker in Cathedral Square, called the design "kitsch". [5]

Lonely Planet named Christchurch one of the "top 10 cities to travel to in 2013" in October 2012, and the cathedral was cited as one of the reasons that makes the city an exciting place. [18]

Deans

PeriodDeanNotes
2013–2014 Lynda Patterson Died 2014 [19] [20]
2015–2023 Lawrence Kimberley [21] [22]
2023–presentBen Truman [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Square, Christchurch</span> Square in Christchurch, New Zealand

Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located. The square stands at the theoretical crossing of the city's two main orthogonal streets, Colombo Street and Worcester Street, though in practice both have been either blocked off or detoured around the square itself. The square was badly damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ChristChurch Cathedral</span> Church in Christchurch Central City, New Zealand

ChristChurch Cathedral, also called Christ Church Cathedral and (rarely) Cathedral Church of Christ, is a deconsecrated Anglican cathedral in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was built between 1864 and 1904 in the centre of the city, surrounded by Cathedral Square. It became the cathedral seat of the Bishop of Christchurch, who is in the New Zealand tikanga of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington Cathedral of St Paul</span> Church in Wellington, New Zealand

The Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, also called St Paul's Cathedral or Wellington Cathedral, is an Anglican cathedral church located on Hill Street, at its junction with Molesworth Street, in Thorndon, in the city of Wellington, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland</span> Anglican place of worship in New Zealand

Holy Trinity Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral church situated in Parnell, a residential suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is the 'mother church' of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland and the seat of the Bishop of Auckland. The current main church building was consecrated in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican Diocese of Christchurch</span>

The Diocese of Christchurch is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Diocese covers the area between the Conway River and the Waitaki River in the South Island of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Matthews</span> Canadian Anglican bishop (born 1954)

Victoria Matthews is a Canadian Anglican bishop. From 2008 until 2018, she served as Bishop of Christchurch in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. In 1994, she became the first woman ordained bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada when she was made a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Toronto. She then served as the Bishop of Edmonton from 1997 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Grammar School</span> Private, co-educational, primary school

The Cathedral Grammar School is an independent, Anglican preparatory day school in Christchurch, New Zealand. The school is situated on a site covering two blocks in mid-Christchurch next to the Avon River and adjacent to Hagley Park, which it uses for its playing fields. It is in close proximity to Christ's College, the Canterbury Museum, the Christchurch Art Gallery and the Christchurch CBD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pro-cathedral</span> Church serving temporarily as cathedral

A pro-cathedral or procathedral is a parish church that temporarily serves as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese, or a church that has the same function in a Catholic missionary jurisdiction that is not yet entitled to a proper cathedral. A pro-cathedral is distinct from a proto-cathedral, the term in the Roman Catholic Church for a former cathedral, which typically results from moving an episcopal see to another cathedral, in the same or another city. In a broader context, the term "proto-cathedral" may refer to a church used by a bishop before the designation of a settled cathedral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch</span> Church in Christchurch Central City, New Zealand

The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was a Catholic cathedral located in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch and seat of the Bishop of Christchurch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch Central City</span> Central area of Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch Central City or Christchurch City Centre is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the Four Avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green space including Hagley Park, the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and the Barbadoes Street Cemetery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxford Terrace Baptist Church</span> Church in New Zealand

Oxford Terrace Baptist Church is a Baptist church located in the Christchurch Central City on a prominent corner property fronting the Avon River. It is affiliated with the Baptist Churches of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warner's Hotel</span> Hotel in Christchurch, New Zealand

Warner's Hotel in 50 Cathedral Square, Christchurch is the site of a hotel established in 1863. The original building, extended on numerous occasions, burned down in 1900. A new building was built in 1901. Again, it underwent numerous alterations. A fourth storey was added in 1910 and the northern end of the building was demolished in 1917 and a theatre built in its place to create a noise buffer to the printing presses of the adjoining Lyttelton Times Building. The theatre was demolished in 1996 and patrons enjoyed a beer garden. In 2010, a high-rise Novotel hotel opened on the site of the beer garden and in the process, the historical and symmetrical 1901 façade was recreated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Michael and All Angels, Christchurch</span> Church in Christchurch Central City, New Zealand

The Church of St Michael and All Angels is an Anglican church located at 84 Oxford Terrace, Christchurch, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Beck (priest)</span>

Peter J. Beck is an Anglican priest in New Zealand. He was the dean of ChristChurch Cathedral in Christchurch from 2002 until December 2011 when he resigned to contest a vacancy on Christchurch City Council in a 2012 by-election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Saviour's Chapel</span> Church in Lyttelton, New Zealand

St Saviour’s at Holy Trinity is an Anglican church in Lyttelton, Christchurch, New Zealand. St Saviour's Chapel was relocated from West Lyttelton to Christchurch's Cathedral Grammar School in the 1970s. Following the earthquakes and the demolition of Holy Trinity Church, Lyttelton, St Saviour's was returned to Lyttelton to the site of Holy Trinity in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Luke's Church, Christchurch</span> Church in Christchurch, New Zealand

St Luke's Church was an Anglican church located in Christchurch, New Zealand. The former church was built on one of the five sites set aside in the central city in the original survey of Christchurch for the Anglican church and the building was registered as a Category II historic place with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. Following sustained damage caused by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the building was demolished in July 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John the Baptist Church, Christchurch</span> Church in Christchurch, New Zealand

St John the Baptist Church is a former Anglican church that was located in Latimer Square, Christchurch, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's Cathedral, Napier</span> Church in New Zealand

St John's Cathedral, Napier, officially the Waiapu Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, is an Anglican cathedral church, located in Browning Street, Napier, New Zealand.

Lynda Jane Patterson was a Northern Irish-born Anglican priest who was the 13th dean of Christchurch, New Zealand. She was the first woman to hold that position, serving from 2013 until her death in 2014.

References

  1. "Plot of Christchurch, March 1850". Wikimedia Commons. March 1850. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  2. "Lost heritage Christchurch City D–H". New Zealand Historic Places Trust . Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Barrie, Andrew (November 2013). "Future Proof". KiaOra: 64–66.
  4. 1 2 3 Dennis, Anthony (9 February 2013). "Budget shortfall for Christchurch's tubular cardboard cathedral". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Site blessed for cardboard cathedral". stuff.co.nz . Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  6. 1 2 Newcomb, Tim (31 August 2011). "New Zealand Cathedral to Be Rebuilt With Cardboard. Seriously". Time. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Ground work starts on 'cardboard cathedral'". 3 News . 24 July 2012. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  8. King, Caroline; O'Callaghan, Jody (15 July 2013). "Cardboard project frontman loses job". The Press . p. A1. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  9. 1 2 "Landmark decision: the public's views". The Press . Christchurch. 27 July 2013. p. A4.
  10. Mead, Thomas (29 November 2012). "Fundraiser started for Cardboard Cathedral". 3 News . Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Rain no dampener for New Zealand cardboard cathedral by architect Shigeru Ban". artdaily.org. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  12. 1 2 Gates, Charlie (19 July 2013). "Rain leaves cathedral tubes soggy". The Press . p. A3. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  13. Mathewson, Nicole; Stewart, Ashleigh (2 August 2013). "Cardboard cathedral work going down to the wire". The Press . Christchurch. p. A3. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  14. Stewart, Ashleigh (3 August 2013). "Emotional moment for bishop at handover of new cathedral". The Press . Christchurch. p. A3. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  15. "Christchurch's Transitional 'Cardboard' Cathedral | Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism". Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  16. Mann, Charley (16 April 2012). "Work to start on cardboard cathedral". stuff.co.nz . Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  17. McGuigan, Cathleen (25 February 2013). "Ban's Cardboard Cathedral Rises in Christchurch". Architectural Record. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  18. Atkinson, Brett. "Christchurch revival: why New Zealand's comeback city is a must-see for 2013". Lonely Planet . Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  19. Broughton, Cate (21 July 2014). "Cathedral dean Lynda Patterson dies". The Press . Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  20. "It's official: Dean Lynda Patterson". Anglican Taonga. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  21. "New Dean Looking to the Square". Anglican Life. 1 December 2015.
  22. Gates, Charlie (3 May 2023). "Christchurch's Anglican dean quits to get a new job and afford a house before old age". The Press. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  23. Clark, Margie (17 October 2023). "New Dean takes the stage at Christ Church Cathedral". University of Otago. University of Otago. Retrieved 7 January 2024.