A good deal of head scratching and intricate work has been going on behind a builders' wrap at Whangarei's Town Basin.
And Te Kakano, the structure acting as a practice run for the Hundertwasser Art Centre, will be unveiled in just over a month.
Project manager Greg Guy says the public will be in for a "nice surprise" when they see the finished koru-shaped building, a public artwork housing a seating area and lookout over the Town Basin.
Renowned Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser shunned straight lines and Te Kakano was a chance for about 50 tradespeople to perfect the techniques necessary for the main Hundertwasser Art Centre that will be built over the old Northland Harbour Board building.
The Te Kakano build had been "very challenging and complicated for everyone involved", Mr Guy said.