Cardboard Cathedral

This is an amazing church. It's unique and beautiful, but there's more here. It's open to the public, and I feel it is a church for the people. It's made of cardboard tubes, containers, and concrete and has a story. In 2011, Christchurch suffered a devastating earthquake, killing 185 people. As you walk around the church and the town, what I found is that it brought people together. Class, economics, and other things that divide people were put aside. At the end of the day, they were neighbors. The focus is on helping everyone. The church is actually called the Transitional Cathedral. I will add an information sheet about it.

Beautiful cathedral that's built as a transitional cathedral after the 2011 earthquake destroyed the original cathedral. When I visited, it was not open but I could see the chairs and altar through the glass door. The original cathedral is getting renovated.

unfortunately, I could not go inside, because close, but from outside looks nice and different then a regular church, sure modern; i like very much the outside statue of the " rising Christ". nice felling and good vibes.

Wonderful makeshift cathedral with nice ly looking interiors. Went for music event and one Sunday service for the antarctic explorers.

Great place to visit due to its ambience. It has a gentle presence which pervades it. Its staff are very hospitable too. It shows how a church community can recover the disaster of the earthquake. The design by the architect is pure innovation blended with imagination. I found it encouraging for my faith.

No tickets are required. This is the church referred to as the 'cardboard cathedral'. You can see the walls and ceiling are made of cardboard along with many of the other furniture items. The building is unique because of the materials used to build it. It is a very interesting structure and worth a visit, even for those amongst us who are not religious. Lovely volunteers manage a delightful small shop at the front of the building.

Very beautiful and unique place. We hid there before rain and people there were so friendly, gave us brochure, asked us if we have more question. Very interesting story of this building by japanese architect.

A must see if you’re in town. A piece of architectural genius. Read about the construction and design of this building to understand why it’s so interesting. Run by volunteers who are happy to explain how this project was created. There is also a small souvenir shop right at the entrance.

We wanted to visit the Christchurch Cathedral which was severely damaged from the 2011 earthquake. We walked along the Avon River and immensely enjoyed the walk. Due to the funding issues it is taking much longer time for the reconstruction, however, around 2013 a transitional cathedral (aka Cardboard Cathedral) was built. A Japanese disaster architect built it pro bono. Wikipedia states: Materials used include 60-centimetre (24 in)-diameter cardboard tubes, timber and steel. The roof is of polycarbon, 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. 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. The building seats around 700 people. It serves as a conference venue as well as a cathedral. It was designed to last 50 years instead of being permanent. There are several volunteers working here and they really took their time explaining the history and how this church came to be now.

We went here after visiting the large but damaged cathedral downtown. I've visited many churches and cathedrals and this one really is unique. It was constructed fairly quickly after the earthquake damaged the other one and those who attended services there needed a place to worship. As a result, you see construction materials you don't normally see. The beams that make up the sides of the A frame roof are cardboard. Also, I'm not sure what they did with the stained glass window above the entrance, but it's different and it looks good. Really what I think of the Cardboard Cathedral is that it is probably the best environmentally friendly church I've ever seen. But more than that, the church shows the resilience of the people of Christchurch. It's really a sight to see. There's a museum/gift shop where you can learn a little about the church. If you are in the area, stop by and check it out!

It's been a few weeks since I visited the Cardboard Cathedral and I'm still pondering it. I've been to many architecturally interesting buildings but this one stands out. Even in the absence of its back story, it would still be an extraordinary building. Cardboard, shipping containers and plastic don't sound like the kinds of things you should build a cathedral out of. You'd expect such components would make it look cheap and tacky. On the contrary, it's a building that is both gorgeous and practical. It's open during the day so if possible go for a walk around inside to take a closer look. It's even more profound given it represents a new beginning for the community after the horrific earthquake of 2011 left the original cathedral a few blocks away so badly damaged it still lies in ruins. The Cardboard Cathedral is a deeply moving testament to the resilience and creativity of the people of Christchurch.

I must admit that I had only heard about this place and never seen any photos, so I expected a modest size Cathedral as it was only supposed to be temporary. Needless to say I was very surprised at it size. I really enjoyed the stain glass frontage, and as for the cardboard tube roof, seats, and alter. It was so refreshing to see new thinking for a new city. When visiting Christchurch, this IS a must see for it's innovation if nothing else.

After the reviews I'd read I was expecting something amazing made from cardboard but I wasn't amazed. I think it's an architectual feat for sure, but inspiring, not really. As with all churches (and bviously this is only my humble opinion) the money would be better spent elsewhere. Preserving old buildings as part of our heritage and history is important, but spending money on hugely expensive new church buildings? There is a strong body of local opinion that feels the money could have been spent restoring the old Cathedral but I feel money would be better spent on a community centre that encompasses everyone's needs.