Cardboard cathedral becomes “sodden”
July 23, 2013
By
Canadian Consulting Engineer
New Zealanders are praying that their cardboard cathedral will hold its own and be ready for a scheduled opening on August 15.
New Zealanders are praying that their cardboard cathedral will hold its own and be ready for a scheduled opening on August 15.
The $5.3 structure is a temporary replacement for Christchurch’s Anglican cathedral that was destroyed after an earthquake hit the country in February 2011.
The new structure is being built using 24-inch cardboard tubes, combined with conventional steel on a concrete pad. During heavy rainfall in June exposed parts of the new structure became “sodden.”
“It was always known from the very beginning that there would be some rain that would hit the cardboard in some way, shape or form,” said a spokesperson according to a report in the Anglican Journal on July 19. But, he noted that it was easy to pull out damaged tubes and replace them.
The A-frame cathedral is being designed by “emergency architect” Shigeru Ban. It stands 82 feet high and seats 700 people. It is supposed to serve for 10 years while a new permanent cathedral is built.
To visit the transitional cathedral website, click here.
