On February 22, 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake rocked the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The devastating earthquake was the most severe experienced by the city and as a result the two-century old ChristChurch Cathedral succumbed to the hit. The spire collapsed under the heavy jolt leaving behind a little of the base standing. The collapsing debris also caused damage to the roof the north aisle just next to the spire and the pillars inside the building.
Few months later in June 2011, an aftershock of magnitude 6.4 inflicted damage to the iconic rose window, leading to its partial collapse. As though to complete its unfinished business, an aftershock visited six months later in December 2011, this time demolishing the rose window completely.
The awe-inpsiring cathedral of beautiful Victorian gothic design that took some 40 years to build but suffered its greatest damage within a year. For the small community of Canterbury, the famous cathedral has been the residents' pride, as well as an iconic symbol of the city's identity that helps boost its tourism. However the fate of the church till today is left hanging in the air, with the church authorities opting for complete demolition fearing the impending danger of further collapse from the building's weakened structure, while diverse groups in the local community including structural and siesmic engineers expressing their confidence to restore the church to its former glory fortified with advanced anti-earthquake building technologies.
In the meantime, church goers and visitors have to be housed in a modern transitional cathedral called the 'Cardboard Cathedral' which was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and constructed out of cardboard tubes, timber and steel. The seemingly barebone structure that opened its doors in August 2013 restored the faith of the residents and tourists to certain level. However whether or not there would be a completely new Christchurch cathedral that would preserve its heritage is yet unknown. In this respect, the postcard now becomes the only avenue to admire its former beauty and glory.
