How Te Kaha is changing Christchurch's street scape, from almost every perspective

Monday, 24 February 2025

The view of Te Kaha from Cashel Mall in central Christchurch on February 19.

Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha is changing the city’s street scape from almost every angle.

And while it may not be in the same league as the Eiffel Tower or Empire State Building, a landscape architect says in terms of scale it is already a “major presence”.

Landscape architect and environmental planner Di Lucas said the stadium had a big scale compared to Christchurch’s low-level skyline.

Te Kaha dominates the central city, as seen from the Port Hills on September 2, 2024.

“The stadium is definitely a major feature in the grid. The grid that defines our central city is very important and now this interrupts several streets in the grid.”

She said she believed the stadium would provide the city with shelter from the strong easterly winds that blow down the streets that run from east to west.

“I don’t want to compare it to the Eiffel Tower, but it’s definitely a major visual and physical presence and that’s not necessarily a negative,” she said.

The stadium peeking into the frame, as seen from the One NZ Innov8 building.

She said the stadium’s character was interesting.

“It’s not just a big box. It’s great that it has an interesting form and detail has been applied in consultation with mana whenua,” she said.

It would also work as a prominent landmark to orient people travelling around the city.

The view of Te Kaha from Cashel St in central Christchurch. January 22, 2025. (This caption previously incorrectly said Worcester St).

“Because so many buildings changed with the earthquakes a lot of people, ones who live out in the suburbs, who don’t live in the central city like I do, say they are disoriented. The stadium gives good orientation, doesn’t it?”

Helen Kerr, urban designer and principal of architecture, landscape and urban design company Isthmus, said Christchurch lost many significant landmarks in the earthquakes, and new ones were needed “for navigation, identity and civic pride”.

“Landmarks say something to visitors about what the city stands for.”

You cannot miss it driving down Barbadoes St.

One NZ Stadium as seen from the Moorhouse Ave overbridge.

Standing in Lancaster Park, the site of the city’s demolished stadium, you’ve got a decent view of the new one.

A stadium this close to the centre was “rare” in most cities, she said, noting they were usually found on the edges, such as waterfronts, ports, industrial edges, park lands or transport corridors.

Stadiums could boost inner city businesses, but could deter other “desirable” land uses, such as urban living, because of noise and traffic, she said. At a street level, an “inactive street frontage” discouraged people from walking and cycling between destinations.

“It’s really difficult to integrate the scale of a stadium and its surrounds in a way that is continuously active and vibrant.”

The city should be looking at opportunities to encourage “compatible development” around the stadium, she said.