Skyline Queenstown upgrade

We worked concurrently on the first three stages of a 10-year project to upgrade the gondola and facilities at Skyline Queenstown, facilitating the installation of the new 10 seat gondola by replacing the base and top terminals and adding a new five-level parking building.

The project involved significant enabling works at the top terminal, including piled retaining walls, rerouting services and luge tracks, and reconfiguring the pedestrian access. Access to the steep hillside site was via a narrow, one-way forestry road. The base terminal was adjacent to and partially over the existing terminal and on the same constricted site as the car park, adding further complexity. It stands as one of the most logistically challenging projects we have undertaken, requiring meticulous planning, clear communication and careful coordination.

We were involved in the project from 2016 with detailed ECI input from 2019. This ensured that construction methodologies and buildability considerations were embedded into the design from the outset. This ECI input was crucial to the success of the project and allowed us to meet Skyline’s key goal of maintaining day-to-day operations for the thousands of visitors passing through the site every day. Work was carefully staged to minimise disruption, always prioritising public safety.

A 10-week shutdown period was scheduled to allow the changeover to the new gondola line by Doppelmayr. We operated seven days a week during this period to demolish existing buildings and complete both terminal buildings.

The new gondola and terminals opened two days ahead of schedule, just in time for the school holidays, much to the client’s satisfaction. We’re currently working on the next stage of the redevelopment, extending the top complex.