BESIX Watpac to deliver Canterbury Multi-Use Arena in NZ

BESIX Watpac is the lead contractor in the Kōtui team which is made up of Australian, New Zealand and global expertise with a combined portfolio of more than 400 stadiums worldwide. The team includes New Zealand companies Southbase Construction, Fulton Hogan, engineers Lewis Bradford, and architects Warren and Mahoney, and global stadium design experts Populous and Mott MacDonald.

The CMUA is a 25,000 seat covered stadium for hosting major sporting contests and international concerts, with a scalable seating capacity to ensure it remains fit for purpose for smaller concerts, shows and events.

The project win is a major milestone for BESIX Watpac and CEO Jean-Pol Bouharmont believes it’s the beginning of a new era for the company as an Australian and New Zealand contractor.

“We now have the opportunity to demonstrate our excellence in engineering, safety and delivery and demonstrate to the New Zealand market how we can drive much greater value on their projects,” Jean-Pol said.

General Manager Queensland, Northern Territory and New Zealand Drew Brockhurst congratulated the Kōtui team and expressed confidence in a strong New Zealand future.

“We have delivered some of Australia’s iconic sporting arenas, most recently the award-winning Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, and it’s exciting to now have the opportunity to deliver our expertise in New Zealand for the benefit of the people of Christchurch and the Canterbury region.

After the CMUA announcement by Christchurch City Council today (29 March 2021), the Kōtui team issued the following news release.

Kōtui excited to deliver Canterbury Multi-Use Arena

The Kōtui team is honoured to have been selected as preferred contractor to deliver the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena (CMUA), a new centrepiece of cultural and sporting pride for the people of Christchurch and the Canterbury region.

Kōtui is made up of New Zealand, Australian and international expertise in stadium architecture, engineering design, construction and fan experience. The team has been carefully selected to deliver excellence, capture the spirit of all Cantabrians and elevate the region’s sporting and cultural pride.

Led by Australian-based stadium construction experts, BESIX Watpac, Kōtui includes the local strength of Southbase Construction and Fulton Hogan, local seismic engineering specialists Lewis Bradford, Christchurch architects Warren and Mahoney, and global stadium design experts Populous and Mott MacDonald. The combined experience represented by Kōtui has designed and built more than 400 stadiums worldwide.

Speaking on behalf of Kōtui, BESIX Watpac CEO Jean-Pol Bouharmont echoes the pride felt by every member of the team at being selected for such an important project.

“Kōtui is a remarkable team and we are proud to honour the meaning of our name and walk arm in arm with Christchurch City Council and the people of Canterbury to delivery this vital project. We will leverage our in-house engineering and multi-disciplinary construction capability in the spirit of one team to deliver an exceptional result,” Jean-Pol said.

Quin Henderson, CEO of Southbase Construction reinforces that the CMUA is more than a stadium.

“We will create a stunning multi-use arena to fulfill an incredibly important role in our city. It will celebrate the spirit of Ōtautahi Christchurch and entice the world to experience the internationally renowned sporting, arts, and the cultural pride we have on offer,” Quin said.

Fulton Hogan General Manager Construction Justin McDowell shares the sentiment and reinforces the strength of the team.

“Kōtui’s vision for the CMUA is to unite and ignite the spirit of Christchurch and we are all incredibly invested in the importance of that objective. We are also very proud of the capability embodied in our team and we have no doubt we will deliver a brilliant result,” Justin said.

The Kōtui team is keen to start work immediately but there is a significant period of geotechnical, survey and design work to be done before construction can commence.

The Kōtui team will commence work immediately on the design and survey phases. There will be considerable activity onsite before construction starts as large drilling equipment is deployed to undertake the geotechnical investigation.

Construction of the arena is expected to commence in early 2022.

To discover more about the Kōtui team, click here.