Still in deep lockdown… So don’t really want to talk about anything too dark today. Actually, I want to show you the ways that Christchurch has rebuilt itself in the time following the disaster.

In my previous post, I concentrated on the ruins, and you might remember seeing the ruins of the Anglican Cathedral. The people of Christchurch didn’t want to be without a place of worship for too long, so they quickly commissioned the Cardboard Cathedral, which was opened 2.5 years after the earthquake.

It’s a very creative and positive building to enter, and when we visited there was a lot of activity. It was supposed to be temporary, but I heard they’ve decided to make it a permanent fixture for the city.

In other places around the city they’ve planted gardens where there were buildings. This one is a memorial garden in the place where the CTV station building was.

Other places are getting rebuilt in typical 2010’s style.

However there are places that are a little more innovative. Christchurch is famous for its use of shipping containers as structures.

And some interesting sculptural elements.

And finally there’s a proliferation of street art everywhere you look, on old and new buildings.

The combination of all this artwork is very moving. It shows a city that’s rebuilding itself using art. We can learn a lot from that.