Shigeru Ban's Paper Church

Shigeru Ban's paper church.

"This community center was built by church volunteers whose house of worship was destroyed by the Kobe earthquake in 1995. Materials were donated by a number of companies, and construction was completed in only five weeks by the 160 volunteers. The plan(10 x 15m) is enclosed within a skin of corrugated, polycarbonate sheeting. Within this, 58 paper tubes (325mm in diameter, 14.8mm thick, and 5m high), were placed in an elliptical pattern. The eclipse is based on those in Bernini's church designs, and the space between the eclipse and the outer edge of rectangular-shaped site formed a corridor and provided lateral support. At the entrance to the eclipse, the spacing of the paper tubes was widened, and the facade fully glazed to form a continuous, unified space between the interior and exterior."

So beautiful I could cry, and out of paper. More innovation in those simple tubes than in all the churches below.