Stadium construction starts the year strong
Christchurch City Council Newsline: 3rd February 2025
The steel superstructure of One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha is now complete, marking a major milestone for the $683 million project.
In a new video released today, Christchurch City Council Project Director Kent Summerfield provides an update on this latest achievement and a look at other key work areas around the site.
“We’ve started the year strong,” says Mr Summerfield.
“The final two steel modules have been lifted into place at the northern end of the site.”
Each of these modules weighed around 160 tonnes, making them the heaviest of the project. The largest crane in the country, a 1200 tonne crawler, was required for the task.
“Installing these final modules closes out a significant phase of the project for the team. Every step of the roof installation process has been complex and presented its own challenges,” says Mr Summerfield.
The roof structure is made up of over 80 steel modules, each weighing at least 75 tonnes. The first was installed in December 2023.
“It’s fantastic to look over the last fourteen months and recognise the work that BESIX Watpac and their subcontractors have done to make this happen,” says Mr Summerfield.
The video also shows the progress on several other areas of the site, including the exterior wall and roof cladding.
“This work got underway at the southern end of the site in late 2024 and will be completed around springtime,” says Mr Summerfield.
The stadium’s façade features an artwork created by local artist Morgan Darlison.
“With this work underway, the final look of the stadium is starting to emerge,” says Mr Summerfield.
An update on the inside of the stadium is also provided.
“Nearly all the concrete seating plats are now in place. Metalwork and handrail installation will commence in the coming weeks, with the seating to follow,” says Mr Summerfield.
One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha will have 25,000 permanent seats, with the ability to add 5,000 more for large sporting events.
The video also offers a look inside the players’ locker rooms and warmup areas in the western stand.
“Fit-out works to all the stands are now well advanced, with a number of areas complete or nearing completion,” says Mr Summerfield.
Wall linings are in place and rubber flooring will soon be installed.
“We have another very busy year ahead, with a number of challenges in front of us. But with our dedicated team continuing to hit milestone after milestone, we remain on track and on budget for an opening in April 2026,” says Mr Summerfield.
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