7 Christian Landmarks from Around the World

Cardboard Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand

When an earthquake severely damaged the ChristChurch Cathedral in 2011, the Anglican communion wanted to demolish and construct a new church in its place, but a New Zealand court ruled the building a national landmark and held up demolition in favor of restoration and retrofitting. No matter how the value of a church building shakes out, the congregation still needed a place to meet. Enter Shigeru Ban, who specializes in using sustainable materials to quickly house victims that can be easily replaced or recycled later. Designing a transitional facility pro bono, the result is the Cardboard Cathedral, a weather- and fire-resistant building made of limited amounts of lumber and steel in favor of cardboard, meant to stand for over 50 years.