KEY POINTS:
The Wharf at Northcote Point will soon be celebrating its first birthday after the business succeeded in a building said by many to be doomed.
The twin-pod, glass-walled circular structure under the Harbour Bridge traded for years as Fisherman's Wharf, but last November it opened as an exclusive party, wedding and functions venue.
Vicki Hide, chairwoman of the New Zealand Sceptics, wrote in NZ Heritage magazine the building had an unlucky past, "which apparently dooms its owners to bankruptcy".
Barbara Doyle, who ran a restaurant there, does believe the building is cursed. She was bankrupted after opening in 2000 and says the place is haunted, that she experienced bad vibes there and that her daughter had felt the presence of spirits. There have also been suicides inside the building and close by.
But high-flying building owner and socialite Andrew Krukziener and his wife Gitta took a less gloomy view and invested heavily. They teamed up with The Orange Group, which specialises in event management, and reportedly ploughed $5 million into a grand refurbishment initially expected to cost just $2 million.
That involved installing New Zealand's biggest chandelier, a 6m by 6m monster which is the central feature of the Grand View reception lounge.
They also decked the interiors with imported marble, installing new windows and doors and an LED multi-coloured ceiling disguised by carved fretwork.
The wedding reception of NZ Idol host Dominic Bowden, Saatchi & Saatchi's Christmas party, the inaugural Spy Society Party, Vodafone awards, Ford Focus car launch, a Chivas Regal Whisky function and many other events have been held at The Wharf in the 10 months since what general manager Stephanie Parkinson calls its "soft" opening last November.
Four years ago, infomercial queen and TV star Suzanne Paul tried to turn the building into Rawaka, a Maori cabaret act with hangi and boat pick-up and return to the city.
The failed venture left her bankrupt with debts of more than $1 million, which she has been paying off ever since.
After that failure, Mr Krukziener tried to sell the property, but now he and Gitta are being hailed for their exquisite taste in doing up the venue.
"The interior was a collaborative design by John Wray of Duo Architects, Andrew and Gitta Krukziener of Krukziener Properties and Semele and Stu Robertson of The Orange Group," said Trends.
Shipshape?
Wharf building at Northcote:
*1973: opened by restaurateur Bob Sell.
*1990s: converted to The Phoenix Club.
*This decade: Barbara Doyle's restaurant failed.
*2004: Suzanne Paul's Rawaka failed.
*Andrew Krukziener tried to sell but failed.
*Last November: Opened as The Wharf.
*Now a successful functions venue.
