Integrated Lighting Control for One New Zealand Stadium

Overview

One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha is one of Christchurch’s most significant new public venues – a multi-use arena designed to support major sporting events, concerts, functions, corporate hospitality and large-scale community experiences.

For a facility of this scale, the lighting control system needed to do more than simply switch lights on and off. It needed to support a wide range of spaces, operating modes and user requirements across the stadium, while integrating with specialist architectural lighting, AV systems and emergency lighting infrastructure.

Intelligent Environments was engaged to deliver a comprehensive lighting control solution across the wider stadium environment, excluding the main sports field lighting. The scope included the main concourse, amenities, function areas, concourses, stands, gantries and corporate spaces – supporting both the operational needs of the venue and the experience of those moving through it.

The project was delivered alongside Mott MacDonald as engineer, BESIX Watpac as builder and KME as electrical contractor.

Objectives

A multi-use arena has highly varied lighting requirements.

On any given day, the building may need to support match-day operations, major events, public circulation, back-of-house activity, corporate functions, cleaning, maintenance and general facility management.

Each area has its own purpose and lighting priorities. Public-facing spaces need to feel safe, intuitive and welcoming. Function and corporate areas need flexibility. Amenity areas need reliability and consistency. Stands, gantries and concourses need practical, robust control to support the way the venue operates before, during and after events.

The lighting control system therefore needed to be scalable, reliable and flexible enough to manage a complex stadium environment, while remaining simple for facilities teams to operate day to day.

Technical Challenges and Solutions

Intelligent Environments delivered a large-scale DALI lighting control system across the stadium, consisting of 54 DALI lines and 1,800 DALI fittings.

This DALI network provides structured control across the wider stadium environment, giving the venue the flexibility to manage lighting across multiple zones, event modes and operational requirements.

In addition to the DALI system, the project also included full DMX control of the façade lighting through a Pharos controller, AV integration via Q-SYS for the Level 1 function rooms, 24 blind controllers, customisable dashboards for facilities staff and a central battery emergency light testing system for the stadium’s panic lighting.

The result is an integrated lighting control solution designed to support the operational complexity of a major public venue.

DALI Control Across the Stadium

DALI is well suited to large and complex buildings because it allows individual fittings and groups of fittings to be addressed, controlled and managed with a high level of flexibility.

For One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, this was essential.

The system supports a broad range of spaces and operational requirements, from concourses and amenities through to stands, gantries, function spaces and corporate areas. Lighting can be controlled and structured according to how each area is used, whether that is for a sporting event, concert, function, maintenance period or day-to-day facility operation.

This level of control helps ensure the lighting system remains practical for everyday use, while still providing the flexibility required for different event modes and venue requirements.

Façade Lighting with DMX and Pharos Control

The stadium’s façade lighting required a different level of control.

To support full DMX control of the façade, Intelligent Environments integrated a Pharos controller into the lighting control solution. This allows the façade lighting to be managed separately from the general DALI lighting system, while still forming part of the overall lighting control strategy for the venue.

DMX control is particularly important for architectural and feature lighting, where dynamic effects, colour control and scene-based programming may be required.

For a landmark public venue, the façade is not simply an external building element. It forms part of the stadium’s presence, identity and event-day atmosphere. The ability to control this lighting effectively adds another layer to how the building can respond to different occasions and uses.

Function Rooms, Blinds and AV Integration

The Level 1 function rooms were designed to host a wide range of events, including breakfasts, dinners, awards nights and corporate functions. These spaces required lighting control that could adapt quickly to different room setups, uses and atmosphere requirements.

To support this, Intelligent Environments provided 24 blind controllers for the function rooms, along with integration into the AV system via Q-SYS.

This allows lighting scenes and room control to work alongside the AV environment, helping create a more seamless experience for venue operators and event users. Whether the space is being used for a formal dinner, presentation, awards event or corporate breakfast, the system supports a range of lighting scenes to suit the occasion.

For function and hospitality spaces, this flexibility is critical. Lighting needs to be easy to adjust, consistent in performance and aligned with the broader event experience.

Customisable Dashboards for Event Modes

A stadium of this scale needs to be easy to operate across different event profiles.

To support this, Intelligent Environments used customisable dashboards that allow facilities staff to manage lighting profiles for different event modes, such as sport, concert or general venue operation.

This gives the facilities team a practical interface for changing profiles without needing to work through complex technical menus or individual device settings.

For a multi-use venue, this is a key operational advantage. The building can shift between different modes of use more efficiently, with lighting profiles that support the requirements of each event type.

It also helps reduce complexity for the people responsible for running the venue day to day.

Emergency Lighting and Panic Lighting

In addition to general lighting control, Intelligent Environments also provided a central battery emergency light testing system for the stadium’s panic lighting.

This includes 600W DALI flood lights that shine down onto the pitch in the event of a fire alarm.

For a major public venue, emergency lighting plays a critical role in supporting safety, visibility and evacuation procedures. The ability to test and monitor this system through a centralised approach helps support ongoing compliance and maintenance requirements.

This part of the system ensures the stadium has a reliable emergency lighting solution in place for critical event scenarios.

Supporting a Multi-Use Venue

One of the key challenges in a stadium environment is that the building is not used in one fixed way.

Different events require different lighting conditions. Some areas may be heavily occupied during an event and quiet at other times. Corporate and function spaces may need to operate independently from the wider stadium. Public circulation areas must remain safe, legible and easy to navigate. Maintenance and operational teams need reliable control across a large and complex site.

The lighting control system delivered by Intelligent Environments supports this operational flexibility.

By separating the main sports field lighting from the wider stadium lighting control scope, the system focuses on the areas that support the broader visitor, corporate and operational experience across the venue.

This includes the spaces people move through, gather in, work in and experience before, during and after an event.

The Outcome

The completed lighting control solution at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha provides a scalable and integrated system for managing lighting across the wider stadium environment.

The combination of DALI lighting control, DMX façade control, Pharos integration, Q-SYS AV integration, blind control, customisable dashboards and central battery emergency light testing gives the venue a flexible system capable of supporting the complex requirements of a major multi-use arena.

For facilities staff, the system provides practical tools to manage different event modes and operational profiles.

For function spaces, it supports a wide range of scenes and experiences.

For public and corporate areas, it provides reliable, flexible and coordinated lighting control.

The result is a lighting control solution that supports not only the operation of the building, but the experience of the people who use it.

One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha demonstrates the role intelligent lighting control plays in large-scale public venues – helping create spaces that are flexible, functional and ready to support a wide range of experiences.