'Cardboard Cathedral' closer to fruition

Christchurch's temporary "cardboard cathedral" moved closer to fruition today with the delivery of the first cardboard tubes that will shape the A-frame building.

A shipment of 180 of the 320 six-metre tubes was handed over at builder Naylor Love's Middleton warehouse in front of a large media contingent this morning.

Designed by leading Japanese "emergency architect" Shigeru Ban, who has built temporary buildings in many disaster centres, the $5.3 million transitional cathedral is being constructed on the edge of the city's red zone cordon in Latimer Square.

It will replace the landmark Christ Church Cathedral that was badly damaged in the February 2011 earthquake.

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."

Reverend Dixon said funding for the cathedral was still $1.3 million short and the Anglican diocese wanted to hear from "anyone who's as enthusiastic as we are about the cathedral".

"We're working on fundraising. We hope by the end of the build it will all be in," he said. "It's an interesting challenge."

Naylor Love project manager Stephen Lynch said the cardboard design was his "most challenging operation" in 25 years in the construction industry.

"It's an amazing concept and it's amazing engineering to get that concept to work."

Mr Lynch said he was looking forward to seeing the building rise.

"The last year has been a lot of work and now we're at the actual construction stage."

The transitional cathedral is scheduled to be completed by the end of February.