Te Kaha design woven around Māori folklore

Image: Christchurch City Council

The final look of the façade and the seating pattern of the One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha in Christchurch, New Zealand, have been revealed.

‘Newsline’ stated that the local visual artist and the graphic designer Morgan Darlison (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Tainui) was engaged by the Christchurch City Council to develop a range of works to feature throughout the new stadium.

The 30,000-capacity Te Kaha, also known as the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena and as the One New Zealand Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multiuse sports arena in Christchurch, New Zealand. The facility has been designed as a replacement for the now-demolished 38,628-capacity Lancaster Park which was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and demolished in 2019. The One New Zealand Stadium is part of the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan developed by the Government in 2012 and is scheduled to open in April 2026.

The Christchurch Central Recovery Plan, often referred to as the Blueprint, is the plan developed by the Fifth National Government of New Zealand for the recovery of the Christchurch Central City from a series of damages caused by the earthquakes, in particular the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

‘Newsline’ further stated that in a video released recently the artist shares the inspiration behind the façade artwork and the seating bowl design.

Explained Darlison, “The underlying narrative for the facility is around Tāne (Māori God of forests and birds) and the separation. So, this is Tāne’s journey to separate his parents Ranginui (the sky father) and Papatūānuku (the earth mother). Here in Ngāi Tahu (the principal Māori tribe) we have a variation of the creation story that’s significant to us.”

The exterior façade will feature a pattern made up of 800m of steel sheeting in colors representing the Canterbury landscape.

Added Darlison, “One of the amazing things about this project is that we’re building something right in the middle of the City that we can use to reflect the natural landscapes around us. I think this is the one thing that connects us all as Cantabrians.”

The pattern references the Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula (a community Board that represents the interests of the local community), the Port Hills (mountain range in New Zealand), the Kā Tiritiri o te Moana Southern Alps (mountain range in New Zealand), and the Maukatere Mt Grey (mountain in New Zealand).

She further added, “If you circle the facility, the side of the façade that you’re looking at directly reflects the landscape behind it.”

The cladding installation will start soon on the South Stand along the Tuam Street progressing to the East and West with the last sheets to be installed in the North Stand around the middle of 2025.

In a first for New Zealand, the seating bowl will feature a unique kōwhaiwhai pattern (a traditional Māori pattern) inspired by the hammerhead shark (mangōpare) in black and grey.

Continued Darlison, “On an international scale, this is how we present ourselves and this needs to have an impact. I went with a traditional kōwhaiwhai pattern that is seen in most marae (a sacred meeting place in New Zealand for the Māori communities.”

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

Concluded Darlison, “A bit of inspiration for our performers and the athletes that will be using the facility.”

The One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha will have 25,000 permanent seats with capacity for 5,000 more to be added while holding large events. The first seats will be installed around April next year.

The Te Kaha Project remains on budget with the One New Zealand Stadium on track to open in April 2026.

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