Paper Dome ( ) is a temporary church building constructed using paper tubes as structural elements . It was designed on a pro-bono basis by Shigeru Ban , internationally known Japanese architect who is renowned for his paper tube structures and buildings . This temporary structure was built on September 17 , 1995 to serve as a temporary church for Takatori Catholic Church after the Great Hanshin earthquake . Nonetheless , the venue was not only limited for use to religious worship but also used as a place for communal gatherings . However , when the church community planned to build a permanent building , the structure was donated to Taomi Village in Puli Township , Nantou County , Taiwan which had suffered the 921 earthquake in 1999 . The deconstructed structure was shipped in 2006 to Taiwan , reconstructed there and is now one of the top tourist attractions in that area
Great Hanshin earthquake
Great Hanshin earthquake
Paper Dome