Christchurch Cathedral by Matthew Cook

Boarded windows and a damaged monument are what remain to hint at the former splendor of the Christchurch Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand (designed by George Gilbert Scott and consecrated in 1881). The cathedral was greatly damaged by a series of earthquakes in 2011 and began to be demolished in 2012. Demolition was temporarily halted through a combination of legal action and protest by heritage groups including the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in mid-2012, but after court rulings, the Anglican church leadership was allowed to proceed with further demolition work. At present, it is unclear whether the church will opt to rebuild a cathedral on the existing Cathedral Square now that a temporary cathedral – the first in the world to be constructed largely of cardboard – has been built for the Anglican congregation to resume its worship.