Update on $336m+ international convention centre repairs - damage assessment continues

The Sara Hughes glass artwork panels removed from the Hobson St side. Photo / Michael Craig

Fletcher Construction has issued an update on $336 million-plus to the $750 million NZ International Convention Centre, telling how windows and artworks are being removed in the largest repair job in this country.

John Salier, project director, said reinstatement work would see more than 300 window panels and 100 glass art fins removed from the building's façade.

Around 80 per cent of that work has been completed, he said.

That allows protective intumescent coating on the building's structural steel columns to be stripped and reapplied, following damage caused by the October 2019 fire, he said.

Intumescent coating is a passive fire retardant and protector for the steel.

Taking out the windows and glass art was an important step in redelivering the project after the fire nearly two years ago, Salier said.

Removal also allowed a detailed assessment of fire damage at the centre.

"Even 18 months on from the fire, the challenging nature of the damage means we still have some assessment work to do," he said

"We have made good progress in really difficult conditions. Reinstating the intumescent coating on the steelwork is a time-consuming and difficult task but we are well underway. This allows the next stage to continue."

The Sara Hughes glass artwork panels removed from the Hobson St side. Photo / Michael Craig

Glass panels and fins are being removed from the upper levels, starting on the eastern Hobson St side and followed by the southern Wellesley St, then the western Nelson St sides.

That work on the SkyCity Entertainment Group building will take several months.

The glass art installation by Sara Hughes is one of the largest New Zealand public art works, with 550 individual glass panels, 98 glass fins and 60 different colours that imitate the experience of walking through our native bush.

Two on-site tower cranes and a spider crane is enabling the glass panels to be removed without having to shut traffic lanes for mobile cranes.

When the repair works are finished, the NZICC will be the country's largest purpose-built convention centre, able to take events for up to 4000 people.

"We are committed, with SkyCity, to delivering what will be an iconic building for New Zealand and a showcase to the world," he says. "It will be used and enjoyed for generations to come," Salier said.

Last week, SkyCity announced that it had reached an agreement with the Government to extend the NIZCC's completion from January 2025 to December 2027.

Like a forest in the sky - the glass artwork panels are about to be removed. Photo / Michael Craig

"Although Fletcher Construction Company's latest draft programme indicates completion of the NZICC in late 2024, SkyCity considers it prudent to have a buffer between the programme date and the long stop date," the company said on July 14.

SkyCity and Fletcher Construction are committed to completing the job in accordance with the requirements of the agreement with the Government.

"SkyCity will continue to work with Fletcher Construction to complete the project as soon as possible," it said.

A further update will go to shareholders on August 25 when the company's full-year result for the year is released.

SkyCity shares are trading around $3.23, up 27 per cent or 67c annually.

Fletcher Building is trading around $7.41, up 115 per cent or $3.95 annually.