Description: Canterbury Multi-Use Arena

The depicted concept is not a final one, but the outcome of a preliminary study into the best feasible stadium for Christchurch. The selected capacity stands at 25,000 permanent seats and 5,000 temporary ones possible to add for football and rugby events. During concerts the building could attract 40,000 visitors.

In order to increase its versatility, the stadium should have a full and opaque roof. While the Forsyth Barr variant was also considered, it would significantly limit event-hosting capabilities. It was thus chosed to create a natural field that would slide outside of the building on non-matchdays. While already expensive, this solution is significantly more economic than a retractable roof.

It was selected as the best out of four different size and technical options on the table, of which two were less expensive and one above the $600 million mark due to increased capacity. The selected design could potentially stay below $500 million.

Location of the stadium is settled. The chosen plot, owned largely by public authorities, lies in the strict centre of Christchurch and provides great accessibility through existing and planned public transportation.