Central city  |  12h ago

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The façade is finished, and the roof is only days away from completion at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha.

In a video released today, Christchurch City Council Project Director Kent Summerfield says the major milestone “closes out a significant part of the project”.

“The entire roof system has been an extremely complex undertaking. We’ve had a range of personnel working on the roof at different stages of the project, from crane operators through to welders and roofers,” says Mr Summerfield.

The first steel roof module was installed in June 2024. Exterior cladding started in November 2024, and roof cladding started in January 2025.

“There’s now only a very small portion of roof cladding to complete in the northern end of the site,” says Mr Summerfield.

The last piece is expected to be installed before the end of the month.

“BESIX Watpac and their subcontractors have done a fantastic job of keeping this challenging work on track,” says Mr Summerfield.

As the exterior finishes, preparations for the turf to be laid inside are in full swing.

“The subgrade for the southern part of the field has been levelled and the under-pitch ventilation and pop-up irrigation systems are currently being installed,” says Mr Summerfield.

The turf has been growing offsite since March and will be transported to the stadium and unrolled during the summer.

“This will allow plenty of time for the turf to acclimatise to its new growing conditions ahead of the Anzac weekend Super Rugby Super Round,” says Mr Summerfield.

One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha is a multi-use arena, designed to host concerts and shows, as well as sporting events.

Sixteen speaker arrays, each containing 8-10 separate speakers, are being installed amongst the roof trusses.

“They are positioned with precision to ensure the best possible sound quality for patrons, no matter where they are within the stadium,” says Mr Summerfield.

Major construction is on schedule to finish up by the end of the year, when attention will turn to a comprehensive testing and commissioning programme and operator training.

“The project remains on budget, and the stadium is on track to open in April 2026,” says Mr Summerfield.

For more information, visit tekahaproject.co.nz or sign up for the monthly newsletter.