Christchurch Stadium

BUILD

Arising out of the earthquake damaged city, the Crusaders new home stadium was designed & built in a 100 days, ready for the 2012 Super Rugby season.

Fabric Structures was awarded the tender in late December 2011 to design and build the stadium. The project involved two grandstand roofs—one for the North and one for the South—each measuring 124 meters in length and 20.7 meters in depth. The structures featured large supporting elements behind the stands for stability, with over 270 tonnes of steel used in the construction. The North Stand also incorporated 800 square meters of corporate boxes, requiring double the structural steel compared to the South Stand, as it was 12 meters above ground level.

In total, over 6,300 square meters of fabric covered the roofs and walls of the two stands. Fabric Structures utilized PVC fabric, known for its durability, to complete this massive project.

Key factors in the success of this project included meticulous coordination between the project director, engineer, steel contractor, and shop detailer. This collaboration ensured an efficient design that could be fabricated quickly, standardizing typical roof bays (20 in total). The team was able to assemble 20.7 x 12.4-meter roof panels on the ground and stack them three high, ready to be lifted into place, streamlining the construction process and allowing the stadium to be completed in record time.

The end result was a first-class structure, built under immense time pressure, which provided the Crusaders and their fans with a new home, continuing Christchurch’s sporting legacy.