The façade has been completed and the roof is only days away from being finished at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.
In a video released today, Christchurch City Council Project Director Kent Summerfield said the 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,” Summerfield said.
The first steel roof module was installed in June 2024. Exterior cladding started in November 2024 and roof cladding began in January 2025.
“There’s now only a very small portion of roof cladding to complete in the northern end of the site,” Summerfield said.
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,” Summerfield said.
As exterior work nears completion, preparations are underway for turf to be laid inside the stadium.
“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,” Summerfield said.
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,” Summerfield said.
The stadium is designed to host concerts and shows as well as sporting events. Sixteen speaker arrays, each containing 8 to 10 speakers, are being installed among 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,” Summerfield said.
Major construction is scheduled to finish 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,” Summerfield said.
