Christchurch's temporary "cardboard cathedral" moved closer to fruition yesterday with the delivery of the first cardboard tubes that will shape the A-frame building.
A shipment of 180 of the 320 6m tubes was handed over at builder Naylor Love's Middleton warehouse in front of a large media contingent.
Designed by leading Japanese "emergency architect" Shigeru Ban, the $5.3 million transitional cathedral is being constructed on the edge of the city's red zone cordon in Latimer Square. It will stand in for the badly damaged Christ Church Cathedral.
Cathedral spokesman Reverend Craig Dixon said it was "exciting" to see the tubes arrive, with concrete for the cathedral's foundations scheduled to be poured next week.
"It's been a long journey, coming a year and a half since we first contacted Shigeru Ban," he said. "Because it's such a unique build, there's a lot of engineering and architectural challenges ahead and a fair number of interesting aspects on the way."