The finish line for construction on Skyline Enterprises Ltd’s $8 million, three-storey development is in sight, as hoardings come down and new businesses occupying the spaces open their doors. Tracey Roxburgh reports.
Queenstown's newest development - built on the last piece of undeveloped lakefront land in the resort's downtown area - is nearing completion.
Skyline Enterprises Ltd's $8million, three-storey development, directly beside the historic Eichardt's Private Hotel, features a range of commercial, retail and accommodation spaces and is expected to be fully open by Christmas.
For architect Michael Wyatt, it is a building 20 years in the making.
Mr Wyatt was engaged by the site's previous owners to design a building ''that looked more directly like Eichardt's''.
''The focus was on something that was an extension of Eichardt's in appearance.
''We got quite close to getting resource consent for earlier designs, but I'm quite glad they didn't go ahead with it.''
After Skyline purchased the 781sqm site on the corner of Marine Parade and Church St in 2004 Mr Wyatt was engaged again - and this time given more freedom in design.
The building was one of the more important ones for him, he said.
''It was an important commission, as far as its profile and the town is concerned.
''It's in such a prominent place, so I did feel I had a responsibility to get it right.''
The site dates back to Queenstown's early settlers, when a 19th-century stables was built there, servicing the neighbouring hotel.
The stables were demolished in the early 1960s and in 2013 an archaeological dig uncovered some of the 1870s cobbled stable floor, with faint traces of the stalls which once sheltered the hotel's and guests' horses.
However, the site remained practically vacant for almost 50 years, ultimately becoming home to temporary businesses including mini-golf, car parking and popular fish and chip outlet Aggy's Shack.
The somewhat controversial building - largely shielded from public view by hoardings during the construction process - has become a talking point in the town as it has taken shape beside the Historic Places Trust category 2 Eichardt's building.
The lake-front structure, designed to withstand a major earthquake, features contemporary grooved stonework and trapezoid windows.
The top half of the building is cantilevered off the bottom and, in a design first for the resort, a canopy has been cast into the concrete footpath, but not connected to the building.
''I have got really trusting clients in Skyline,'' Mr Wyatt said.
''They were very supportive and trusted me to follow the direction we were given by the Urban Design Panel.
''For the past 20 years I've had drawings on my board for this site.
''It's good to finally have something there after all these years.
''The land is very valuable, so you want to produce a building that makes the most of the opportunities for the floor area that the district plan would allow.''
Skyline chairman Mark Quickfall said he was ''very happy'' with the almost-finished product.
''I am definitely a supporter of the contrast [in architecture] and I know there was some, I suppose, comments around the building as it was under construction.
''But I think everybody - as with any construction - needs to step back and wait until the finished product is presented.
''There is a modern trend now with architecture to contrast the old with new, rather than just having lookalikes sitting next door.
''I think when all the fencing's down and the streetscaping's finished and the building's complete, I think people will be very pleased with the outcome. Skyline certainly is.''
Earlier this year, the council controversially allowed Skyline to remove 15 short-term car parks on Marine Parade, replacing them by freeing up parks in the Church St car park.
That was to enable streetscaping work, which includes the widening of footpaths to improve pedestrian and cycle flows and adjusting the road and footpath levels to align with the building's entrance.
Streetscaping would be completed ''as soon as possible'', Mr Quickfall said.
The ground floor of the building comprises high-end retail space, featuring Louis Vuitton, World and Eichardt's Hotel's The Grille restaurant.
World is already trading and Louis Vuitton opens its new store - which was previously located in The Mall - today.
The Grille is expected to open early next month.
The first floor will house Mr Wyatt's new office space, along with Artbay Gallery, which officially opened last week, KJet's new head office, two Eichardt's suites and the Eichardt's offices.
Eichardt's Penthouse, on the second floor - rumoured to cost about $10,000 a night - will open before Christmas.
Mr Quickfall said the company was ''thrilled'' with the quality of tenants, and also believed the development would ''pull the town further that way''.
''When that was a vacant site, there was no real reason to go down there ... So, I think it's just going to fill a void in town that's been surprisingly empty for so long.''