From Demolition to Transformation: Our Lancaster Park Journey

If you grew up in Canterbury, you’ve probably got a memory or two tied to Lancaster Park. So when it was time to say goodbye to the old stadium, we knew it was more than just another job.

As a proudly Canterbury-owned company, we were honoured to be trusted with helping transform this iconic site for the community.

Before: Clearing the Way with Care
The stadium took a serious knock during the 2010 and 2011 quakes. After years of uncertainty, it was decided the structure had to come down. That’s where we stepped in.

Our crew began with the soft strip of the Paul Kelly and Deans Stand, carefully removing all internal elements. Then came the Tui Stand, a big job we tackled with care. We also removed the slab and old foundations, making sure the site was ready for what came next.

During: Doing the Job Right
We worked closely with Christchurch City Council, keeping things safe, tidy and on track. Sustainability was a big focus. Rather than simply carting rubble away, we reused and recycled as much as possible onsite.

All the concrete rubble was crushed and repurposed for future construction, we salvaged 30,000 cubic metres of river run gravel from the Tui Stand. That material found a second life at the CCC Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub. 

Taggart then undertook the civil design build works to create the new sports fields that are used for both summer and winter sports. This phase of civil works required circa 55,000m3 of imported river gravels to be placed, with strict compaction criteria to make sure the drainage requirements were meet. 16,000m3 of topsoil was then place on grade to a strict +/- 5mm tolerance before grassing was completed.

After: A Fresh Start for a Special Place
Now, if you visit the old Lancaster Park site, you’ll find sports fields and a walking track circling the ground. It’s not a stadium anymore, but it still brings the community together in a new way.

It was a big job but one we were proud to be part of. From demolition to delivery, our team worked hard to make sure the work was done right.