Shigeru Ban: Cardboard Cathedral

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. Signaling the beginnings of renewal in the central business district, 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 postdisaster 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. This is vital reading for anyone interested in contemporary architecture and for all those looking to what the future might hold for cities after disaster.