The venue itself had to be at the leading edge of stadium engineering in New Zealand: a fully roofed, multi-use design built to host rugby, concerts and major events under a single covered bowl. Funding was jointly underwritten by Christchurch City Council and the Crown, and delivery ran through a three-stage collaborative procurement model that required deep alignment between client, designer and contractor before construction could begin.
When the project moved into delivery, the Council appointed RCP as project and design manager and contract administrator for the Pre-Contract Services Agreement, with that engagement extended through detailed design and construction. Working alongside main contractor BESIX Watpac and architects Populous and Warren and Mahoney, RCP led the collaborative environment that made the procurement model work, aligning client, designer and contractor on a buildable, budget-aligned scheme. From day one of the appointment, RCP raised the post-covid hyperinflation risk Council had not yet provisioned for, an early intervention that protected the budget through the most volatile period of the build.
