A temporary building that is loved by people – even one built with mere paper – can become permanent. I sense that this monument in Christchurch will be loved and used by the citizens of New Zealand for a long time to come. – Shigeru Ban

In Christchurch's inner city an innovative and symbolic structure has just taken shape: a 'Cardboard Cathedral' to stand in for the historic building devastated by the earthquakes of September 2010 and February 2011. Signalling the beginnings of renewal in the CBD, the cathedral is the first new civic building completed since the quakes. Shigeru Ban, its designer, is a world-class architect and expert in disaster-zone building - and the new transitional cathedral is his largest post-disaster structure to date. In essays, building plans and specially commissioned photography, Shigeru Ban: Cardboard Cathedral tells the story of this remarkable feat. Originally conceived as a temporary building, its construction involved design challenges, structural innovations and community involvement; and the finished, now permanent structure seems set to become an enduring symbol of Christchurch's revival. Includes a foreword by the Very Reverend Lynda Patterson, dean of Christchurch Cathedral; an essay by Shigeru Ban himself; documentary photographs by Bridgit Anderson; full-colour plates by Stephen Goodenough; and an afterword by David Mitchell.

Author

More about Andrew Barrie and photographers Bridgit Anderson and Stephen Goodenough

Extract

Read an extract here

Awards and Nominations

Winner – 2015 PANZ Book Design Awards Gerard Reid Award for best Book – Shigeru Ban: Cardboard Cathedral, Andrew Barrie, with photographs by Bridgit Anderson and Stephen Goodenough and designed by Jason Chau Alt Group

Winner – 2015 PANZ Book Design Awards best illustrated book – Shigeru Ban: Cardboard Cathedral, Andrew Barrie, with photographs by Bridgit Anderson and Stephen Goodenoughand designed by Jason Chau Alt Group

Winner – 2015 PANZ Book Design Awards for best typography – Shigeru Ban: Cardboard Cathedral, Andrew Barrie, with photographs by Bridgit Anderson and Stephen Goodenough and designed by Jason Chau Alt Group

Winner – 2014 Gold Award, Designers' Institute of New Zealand Best Awards – Shigeru Ban: Cardboard Cathedral, Andrew Barrie, with photographs by Bridgit Anderson and Stephen Goodenough and designed by Alt Group

Winner – 2014 iF Design Award – Shigeru Ban: Cardboard Cathedral, Andrew Barrie, with photographs by Bridgit Anderson & Stephen Goodenough

Reviews

The Cardboard Cathedral is an optimistic symbol for Christchurch’s traumatised citizens and an international statement of the city’s ongoing vitality. As such, it deserves only applause. - Tom Daniells

Complemented by a brilliant black-and-white captioned photo essay by University of Canterbury visiting photography lecturer Bridgit Anderson, the 150 pages of photographs in this book are the scene-stealers. - Linda Tyler, Architecture Now

The production is impeccable, and the clever design epitomises the way text and photography can work together to tell a story. - Sarah Jane Barnett, Booksellers NZ