More than $450,000 has been spent restoring and renovating one of Alexandra's "landmark" homes - Henderson House.
Designed by Austrian architect Ernest Plischke, the home was one of the first constructed on Bridge Hill, in 1950, and it is the venue for the Henderson Arts Trust artist-in-residence scheme.
"It's a fabulous piece of New Zealand architecture and it's taken about five or six months to restore it, as close as we can manage it, to Ernest Plischke's original intent," arts trustee Grahame Sydney, of Cambrian, said.
Plischke designed 23 buildings in New Zealand between 1948 and 1963, including Henderson House, that were regarded as "models of European Modernism dropped into a faraway Pacific context," Mr Sydney said.
About 70 people attended a function at the house on Saturday to mark the completion of the first stage of work on the house and to thank funders and supporters.
The Henderson Arts Trust was set up by the late Barbara Henderson, of Alexandra, a patron of the arts. Her husband, the late Russell Henderson, was a businessman and entrepreneur.
Work on the house included a complete renovation of the interior, a new roof, new bathroom, kitchen, ceilings and carpet.
It cost $450,307 and about half was funded by the arts trust and by Barbara Henderson and her daughter, Virginia Henderson.
The remainder was donated by the Lotteries New Zealand Environment and Heritage Fund, the Central Lakes Trust , Dame Gillian Whitehead, EMM Haynes Charitable Trust, Pub Charities, Otago Community Trust and Callis Charitable Trust.
It was the first major renovation of the house. Miller Studios managed the project and Jackie Gillies was the heritage architect.
The next stage of development involved converting the outside garage into a painter's studio, in the same style as the house, Mr Sydney said. "Then we'll be able to invite painters to be artists-in-residence at Henderson House." The artist-in-residence scheme began five years ago.
People are "invited" to take part, rather than applying for the scheme.
Writer Kevin Ireland has just finished a stint as artist-in-residence. The next recipient will be announced in May.
Writer Vincent O'Sullivan was the first artist-in-residence at Henderson House, followed by photographer Peter Peryer, composer Dame Gillian Whitehead and jeweller Warwick Freeman.
Work on the landscaping of the grounds would be the final stage of redeveloping the property, Mr Sydney said, which would put the finishing touches to an "absolutely spectacular place".
The Henderson Arts trust chairwoman is Virginia Henderson and trustees are Grahame Sydney, Sir Eion Edgar, Sam Neill, Martin Haanen and Kevin Booth.
