Central city, Facilities  |  Yesterday

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The first seat has been installed at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha.

In a new video released today, Christchurch City Council Project Director Kent Summerfield says having the first seat in place is “a major milestone moment” for the project.

“Installation of the seating is one of our key remaining workstreams and we expect the last seat to be in place late this year,” says Mr Summerfield.

The seats feature a kowhaiwhai pattern created by local visual artist and graphic designer Morgan Darlison (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Tainui).

“The seats will be black and grey and form a pattern inspired by the hammerhead shark,” says Mr Summerfield.

The hammerhead shark represents strength, tenacity, speed and agility.

The stadium has a total seated capacity of 30,000, with 25,000 permanent seats, plus 5,000 more seats able to be added to a temporary stand at the northern end.

Another focus area for the project is the roof installation.

“These works are progressing well, with the solid portion of the roof to the south almost complete and installation of the clear plastic product commencing this month,” says Mr Summerfield.

The stadium will be covered, with much of the roof made of a clear material called Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), which is installed in two layers.

“These layers form an air cushion which helps keep the bad weather out and, crucially, allows natural daylight through to support the turf growth,” says Mr Summerfield.

The stadium lighting has also been installed in the roof structure.

“After a month of hitting some major targets on site, we remain on track for an opening in April 2026 and within budget,” says Mr Summerfield.

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