Cardboard cathedral destroyed to mark Blitz

A cardboard depiction of a city's cathedral has been built and demolished to mark its destruction 85 years ago.

The building was destroyed in November 1940 when the Luftwaffe launched a devastating bombing raid on the manufacturing city of Coventry.

Hundreds of volunteers worked on the Great Blitz Build art installation during a week of workshops at Drapers Hall and then over the weekend at Broadgate, where it was erected from the ground up.

The 15m-high (49.2ft) replica was then demolished as crowds looked on to represent the damage the cathedral suffered in the raid in which more than 550 people died.

Hundreds of volunteers helped build the 15m art installation

More than half the city's housing stock, about 43,000 homes, was damaged and it also saw the loss of its medieval church St Michael's.

City councillor Abdul Salam Kahn said the build was an important project for the community.

"It brings people together," he added. "They are sharing the stories of the Blitz while doing this work. And it's something for them to remember and cherish for the rest of their lives.!

Crowds gathered to watch the cardboard cathedral symbolically destroyed

Artist Olivier Grossetête said on Saturday 25km (15.5 miles) of tape would be used to hold the one-tonne structure together.

Debby Cuneo, a fan of the artist's work, travelled from the United States to take part. She said: "They can't destroy a community's sense of pride and this community showed it, and they're still showing it.

Coventry volunteer James Padvis said being part of the pre-build at Drapers Hall had been "amazing", with 1,300 boxes transported to Broadgate.

"It was like little production lines of people making boxes, turning those boxes into different shapes, then finessing them so you got some of the detail," he said. "It was spectacular to watch the process."