Last week the church revealed three designs for the Christchurch icon - restoration, a reinterpretation of the original cathedral in modern materials, or a completely new building with a sculptural spire.

Anglican diocese spokesman Jayson Rhodes said Bishop Victoria Matthews asked for a ‘‘show of hands'' from the synod about the three designs.

‘‘No one wanted the restoration option, about six or seven people put their hands up for the traditional option and the vast, overwhelming majority put their hands up for the contemporary design.

Those who spoke said it offered flexibility going forward, the rebuild timeframe was only five years, and the cost would spare them years of extensive fundraising.

Subsequently there have been reports of "rumblings of discontent".

People who want to see the existing building restored say the cost of fixing it up has been inflated, to make other options look better.

But Rhodes says cost is only one of the elements being considered.

He says design and appearance are just as important as cost, and no final decision has been made yet.

As of Saturday, 53 percent of members of the public have also voted in favour of the contemporary design compared with 20 percent who want full restoration.

Source

• The Press
• NewsTalkZB
• NewsTalkZB
• Image: TVNZ