Cathedral of Junk

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Cathedral of Junk
Map
Interactive map of Cathedral of Junk
General information
Location4422 Lareina Dr, Austin, Texas 78745
Coordinates30°13′07″N 97°46′18″W / 30.218715°N 97.771775°W / 30.218715; -97.771775
Construction started1988
Completed2019
OwnerVince Hannemann
Technical details
Floor count3
Design and construction
ArchitectVince Hannemann
DeveloperVince Hannemann

The Cathedral of Junk is a folk art structure located in the backyard of a private residence in the West Congress neighborhood of Austin, Texas, featuring a three-story, 30 ft tall "cathedral" weighing an estimated 50 tons.[1]

In 2010, the Cathedral of Junk received national attention when the City of Austin's Code Enforcement department found the structure to be in violation of city ordinances.[2][3]

History

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Construction on the Cathedral of Junk started shortly after owner Vince Hannemann moved to Austin, Texas from Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1989.[1][2][4][5]

By 1994, the Cathedral of Junk had started to receive media attention.[6] At that time the Cathedral of Junk had "towers, connecting archies and a 16-foot high "pulpit"".[7]

In early 2010, both the Houston Chronicle and The Daily Texan reported that Mr. Hannemann worked full-time on the structure, living "mostly off of donations from guests".[8][9]

On March 9, 2010, the City of Austin received a complaint from one of Mr. Hannemann's neighbors about the structure. In response, the City of Austin informed Mr. Hannemann that a certificate of occupancy and a building permit would be required and that electrical wiring would need to be removed.[2][10] Mr. Hannemann was further told that failure to comply by March 31, 2010, would result in the city bulldozing the structure.[11][12] Travis Habersaat volunteered to draw the blueprints needed to get a building permit[2] but then, on June 15, 2010, after several extensions had been granted,[8][13] Mr. Hanneman announced that he would be dismantling the Cathedral of Junk.[14] "The City has made me alter the Cathedral so much that little of its original charm is left" Mr. Hanneman explained.[15] On June 22, 2010, after a conversation with then mayor Lee Leffingwell, The Daily Texan reported that Mr. Hannemann had changed his mind,[16] and on November 16, 2010, the City of Austin and Mr. Hannemann reached an agreement regarding the structure:[17] the property would be zoned single family residential and the following restrictions would apply:

Mr. Hanneman must not advertise the structure as an event venue or public/tourist attraction, and must stop promoting the site on websites. The agreement does allow a few on-site events, such as private parties or occasional weddings, during the year. However, the owner must obtain the proper permits before holding any event. Current zoning requirements do not permit public events in residential areas zoned as single family because of compatibility issues such as excess noise, traffic, inadequate parking and sanitary facilities as well as other health and safety issues.

City of Austin, KUT[18]

In all, 30-40% of the structure (an estimated 30 tons [19]) had been removed as a result of the permitting process.[16] Additionally, the structure cannot exceed its current height and must be at least five feet from the fence.[20]

In December 2019, Mr. Hanneman declared that "2019 is the year that she’s 99 percent done."[1]

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The Cathedral of Junk has been featured in the opening scene of Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over,[4][21][22] the book Weird City by Joshua Long,[12] in an episode of Texas Country Reporter[23] , in an episode of The Daytripper[24], in a Discovery VR YouTube video[25] and in YouTube videos by Time Out[26], Vice Media,[27] CNN Business,[28] and Voice of America.[29] The Cathedral of Junk was also the set piece for a concert by Radiation City that was sponsored by Red Bull TV[30] and GoPro.[31]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Ninesling, Rosie (February 2020). "Austin's Cathedral of Junk is Now 99 Percent Complete". Austin Monthly. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Campoy, Ana (April 24, 2010). "A Junk Pile Grows in Texas, but Is It Art?". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 30, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  3. ^ Campoy, Ana (April 24, 2010). "In Austin, 'Cathedral of Junk' Might Be Headed for the Trash Heap". PBS News Hour. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Boatwright, Todd (March 2, 2024). "Man keeps Austin weird with 'Cathedral of Junk'". Spectrum News 1. Archived from the original on November 10, 2025. Retrieved November 10, 2025. When I moved here in 1989, from Santa Fe, there was nothing in the backyard; just a big oak tree out back
  5. ^ Smothers, Hannah (December 3, 2020). "Cathedral of Junk draws tourists, inspires visitors". The Daily Texan. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  6. ^ Campbell, Frank (August 30, 1994). "Junkpile style". Austin American-Statesman. pp. E1 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Campbell, Frank (August 30, 1994). "Junkpile style". Austin American-Statesman. pp. E4 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b Hallman, Tristan (April 30, 2010). "Tourists will need appointment to visit Austin Cathedral of Junk". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022.
  9. ^ Daughtrey, Tori (February 18, 2010). "From trash to treasure". The Daily Texan. pp. 22 (dtWeekend pp. 11).
  10. ^ Rich, Gerald (March 26, 2010). "Cathedral code violation raises Austinites' interest". The Daily Texan. p. 5.
  11. ^ Whittaker, Richard (March 26, 2010). "One Man's Junk ..." The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010.
  12. ^ a b "City tries to run off famous beloved Bubbaland artwork, the Cathedral of Junk". Austin American-Statesman. September 1, 2012. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  13. ^ Rich, Gerald (March 29, 2010). "Cathedral of Junk receives building-permit extension". The Daily Texan. pp. 1–2.
  14. ^ Wise, Leah (June 17, 2010). "Artist disassembles structure after failure to comply with city". The Daily Texan. pp. 1–2.
  15. ^ Whittaker, Richard (June 16, 2010). "Farewell to the Cathedral of Junk". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 11, 2025. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  16. ^ a b Wise, Leah (June 22, 2010). "'Cathedral of Junk' artist to keep landmark open". The Daily Texan. pp. 1, 5.
  17. ^ Stottlemyre, Matthew (November 18, 2010). "Cathedral of Junk gets permit, abides by city restrictions". The Daily Texan. pp. 1–2.
  18. ^ Bernier, Nathan (November 16, 2010). "Cathedral of Junk Can Live On, Just Not as "Tourist Attraction"". KUT. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  19. ^ Fata, Anna (October 26, 2010). "Landmark artwork gains legal permit". The Daily Texan. p. 7.
  20. ^ Karuga, James (February 9, 2022). "Cathedral Of Junk: Most Exciting 'Garbage Heap' In Austin". The Travel. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  21. ^ LeBlanc, Danielle (March 4, 2005). "Cathedral of Junk has surprises, mysteries around every corner". The Daily Texan. pp. 1, 6A.
  22. ^ "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (1/11) Movie CLIP - Private Detective Juni (2003) HD" (video). Rotten Tomatoes Movieclips. January 20, 2015.
  23. ^ "Cathedral of Junk (Texas Country Reporter)" (video). Texas Country Reporter. April 28, 2021.
  24. ^ "Cathedral Of Junk Tour - Keepin Austin Weird" (video). The Daytripper. February 18, 2021.
  25. ^ "Cathedral of Junk (360 Video)" (video). Discovery Channel. January 26, 2016.
  26. ^ "Visiting the Cathedral of Junk in Austin, Texas" (video). Time Out. October 21, 2025.
  27. ^ "The Junk King of Texas | Local Legends" (video). Vice Media. March 4, 2021.
  28. ^ "Inside the Cathedral of Junk" (video). CNN Business. January 24, 2013.
  29. ^ "US Artist's 'Cathedral of Junk' Draws Visitors, Helps Keep Texas Capital Weird" (video). Voice of America. November 3, 2023.
  30. ^ "The Cathedral of Junk" (video). Red Bull TV.
  31. ^ "GoPro: Radiation City at the Cathedral of Junk - Austin, TX" (video). GoPro. May 28, 2013.