Deconsecrating Deconstruction

Christchurch’s most famous landmark, the 19th-century ChristChurch Cathedral, is to be deconsecrated and partially demolished after February’s devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake toppled the steeple. Church and government representatives have announced that sections of the cathedral would be demolished, at a cost of about $4m, in order to carry out repairs to make other parts of the structure safe and to enable investigation into the longer term viability of the building. The Anglican cathedral, designed in George Gilbert Scott’s distinctive Gothic style will be deconsecrated, making it secular, before demolition work begins. The bishop of Christchurch, Victoria Matthews described the “difficult decision” as a necessary step towards determining “the future of the cathedral, which will combine the old and the new”.