The 2.13m-high coach lamp was constructed by David Watts, of Springbank General Metalwork, with the design based on photographs of the Victorian lamp that stood outside the original building in the 1880s. The lamp is a finishing touch on the restoration of the original facade on Rees and Beach Sts.
Mr Watts said the lamp took seven weeks to make and was constructed using the same techniques used on the original Victorian lamps, including lead and silver soldering.
The craftsman said he was delighted to have worked on such a distinctive feature for the Mountaineer, having also constructed the lamp outside Eichardts Private Hotel.
"Work like this is the icing on the cake for tradesmen . . . I feel both these projects highlight the need to preserve the facades of our historical buildings."
According to a local legend from the 1880s, owner John Malaghan installed a bigger and brighter lamp on the original Mountaineer to beat his rival, Albert Eichardt, owner of Eichardts hotel.
The new-look Mountaineer, a basement and three-storey retail and office complex, is scheduled to open early next month.
One of the tenants, Quiksilver, is the official clothing supplier for the Queenstown Winter Festival and is scheduled to open on June 26 to coincide with the beginning of the Queenstown Winter Festival.
