Watch: Countdown on for roof and façade completion
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 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. The last piece is expected to be installed before the end of the month.
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.
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.
Major construction, including the fit-out of the stands, landscaping works and seat installation, are on schedule to finish up by the end of the year. Attention will then turn to the comprehensive testing and commissioning programme and operator training which will continue until One NZ Stadium opens in April.
The project remains on budget and the stadium is on track to open in April 2026.
Façade finished
Southern stand, along Tuam Street.
Eastern stand, along Barbadoes Street.
Western stand, along Madras Street.
Northern stand, along Hereford Street.
After ten months of work, the exterior façade is finished! The first sheet of steel was installed at the southern end of the site in November 2024 and the last was put in place at the northern end earlier this month.
The exterior of the stadium spans around 800m and features a pattern made up of steel sheeting in colours representing the Canterbury landscape.
The geometric artwork represents the natural features that surround the stadium on each side; Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula, Port Hills, Kā Tiritiri o te Moana Southern Alps, and Maukatere Mt Grey.
The façade also includes around 1,100 panes of glass. At the northern end, these will let sunlight shine onto the turf to support its growth.
Faces of Te Kaha: DeArna McCaskey
Position: AV Technician Installer at Barton Sound.
Day to day I... install the speakers within the stadium and in the bowl. There are 16 speaker arrays, each contains 8-10 separate speakers. We’re also installing all the TVs throughout the building. On one floor alone, there are 70 screens. There are screens in each corporate room, up and down the hallways, kitchens and players’ changing rooms.
The best part of my job is... I love just learning. I’m a trainee at the moment learning how to wire up speakers, putting TVs up and getting into something new and exciting. I work with great people that are fun to be around.
Past projects: This is my first big project.
Outside of work… I just got back from half a year travelling around Europe. I’m also a Flight Sergeant in the Air Cadets.
One of 16 speaker arrays in place.
Progress update
As the team on site checks "roof" off the to-do list, many other parts of the project aren't far behind. Check out the latest progress images below.
Above is a look at the northern end, where the glazing and cladding is finished and the last sections of roof cladding are going in. The glazing and clear roofing at this end will allow sunlight to shine through onto the turf. This is also the area where the temporary stand will be set up for large sports matches.
The last major task for the project is preparing the field of play for the turf. Ventilation and irrigation systems are currently being installed. The turf, which is being grown offsite, will be laid in the summer allowing it plenty of time to acclimatise ahead of the Super Rugby Super Round in April.
Above is a look at the seat installation progress. Around 15km of railing is being installed around the seating bowl, and sections of seating are going in. The black and grey kowhaiwhai pattern is starting to take shape. The pattern is inspired by the hammerhead shark, a symbol of strength, tenacity, speed and agility.
The landscaping progress is shown above, from the corner of Barbadoes and Tuam Streets. The exterior stairs are almost finished, asphalt is being laid for the pathways, and gardens are growing in nicely. The landscaping is progressing around both the east (pictured) and west sides of the stadium towards the north.
Site progress photos
Want to keep track of how construction is progressing? We regularly publish images on the News and Announcements page of our website.
There's also a library of monthly photos in the dropdown menu at the bottom of the page.
What to expect over the coming months
Due to the huge size of the project, different stages of work will overlap to streamline the process. That means as one phase of work progresses across the site (working from south to north), the next phase will follow closely behind it.
Q3 2025 - The installation of the roof cladding will conclude. Landscaping will progress towards the northern end of the site, fit-out works will continue within the stands and final services commissioning will commence. Seating installation will continue and preparations will progress ahead of the turf being laid. LED big screens and ribbon boards will start to be installed.
Q4 2025 - Many workstreams will start to wrap up this quarter, including the fit-out of the stands, landscaping works, and seat installation. Work will continue on establishing the turf and installing the LED ribbon boards. The final services commissioning and testing will continue.
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