New Zealand’s largest pickleball and padel centre to open in Christchurch’s old Court Theatre building

Eight pickleball and three padel courts fill the revamped theatre space. Photo / Anna Heath.

KJ Randall, who is a partner in Picklepadel alongside John Targett, said the idea came after he, an avid player himself, struggled to find somewhere to play.

“As a recreational player, I just sort of struggled to find places to play at any time of the day and in any weather,” Randall said.

“The sport’s really gone through a massive growth.

“There’s now professional commercial venues in all of the main centres as well as Christchurch.

“The sport was feeling quite constrained beforehand, and now that there is a venue of this size, it means that the sport can grow as well.

“We were just lucky enough to find this building and bring it to life.”

KJ Randall of Picklepadel said the team have sought to keep some of the theatrical character of the former Court Theatre building. Photo / Anna Heath.

While the building has taken on a new purpose, traces of the Court Theatre remain throughout.

Beams once used in the theatre have been repurposed as dividers between the courts, while two containers that served theatregoers for 14 years will now provide refreshments to pickleball players and spectators.

Posters from shows once held within the four walls have been repurposed as wall decorations, and air conditioning units have been made into tables.

It was a decision Randall said was intentional.

“It was very deliberate when we took the building over to keep that post-earthquake story alive and keep all of the theatrical elements,” Randall said.

“We’ve kept as much of the story as we can, and we’ve built it into the brand of the business.”

Picklepadel is a new pickleball facility that has taken over the old Court Theatre. Photo / Anna Heath.

The history is evident throughout the building, including a large dividing wall that marks where the back of the Court Theatre stage once stood.

“[We’re] just trying to reuse as much as possible, and it’s actually more expensive and more work to redo that rather than just buy off the shelf,” Randall said.

“But it was part of what we wanted to do.”

Picklepadel has been refurbished, but the team have also sought to keep some of its theatrical character. Photo / Anna Heath.

While the building’s history has been preserved, it has also been updated with modern technology.

Buttons beside each court allow players to instantly replay on-court action, helping players and referees make line calls or capture highlight moments.

Buttons beside each court allow players to instantly replay on-court action. Photo / Anna Heath.

Picklepadel is set to welcome players and spectators through its doors at the beginning of August.

The Court Theatre moved from The Shed into its new $56 million purpose-built facility in central Christchurch earlier this year.

It became the theatre’s first permanent home since the 2011 earthquake uprooted it from the city’s Arts Centre.

The Court Theatre moved from The Shed into its new $56 million purpose-built facility in central Christchurch. Photo / Frank Film

The building was designed by Athfield Architects and United Kingdom-based architects Haworth Tompkins.

The 377-seat Stewart Family Theatre has three levels of seating around the stage, while a smaller auditorium has 120 to 150 seats and is used for children’s theatre and improvised comedy.