Friday, July 19, 2013

Don't Leave Cardboard Cathedrals Out In The Rain...

The sceptics will be crowing!
Christchurch's 'cardboard cathedral' has gone a bit wrinkly in the rain.
Several cardboard columns that give the transitional cathedral its name have wrinkled and discoloured after recent rain.
The good news is: we're assured the damage has no bearing on the structural integrity of the $5.3 million transitional cathedral.
The unusual building in Latimer Square has had its opening delayed multiple times: currently, Naylor Love Construction says it's aiming to finish the building for July 26th (but given that the pic below was taken on July 11th., I think this is overly optimistic). The project was delayed by heavy rain early in construction and the coloured windows took longer than expected to install. Late design changes had also delayed the project.
NLC director Scott Watson says weather damage to the cardboard tubes was always expected and the repairs are being carried out now that the building is watertight. The cardboard columns are cosmetic only, with the building load carried by timber beams inside the tubes. However, the finished product will still look exactly as envisaged by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.
Christchurch had one of the wettest Junes on record - more than four times the average rainfall.
Ready by July 26th? I think not!

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