The three-level building, built for the skifield's opening in 1985, is being demolished and is due to be gone by mid-December.
Ski area manager Ross Lawrence said a 10-strong crew was dismantling the 1500sqm building from the inside out with the goal of recycling as much as possible.
He confirmed the building's removal was a condition of the resource consent for its $23million replacement, which was completed in June last year.
Skifield owner NZSki had until the end of this summer to complete the job.
The company had considered seeking permission to keep and reuse the building, but the cost of renovation would have been prohibitive, he said.
It was showing signs of wear and tear.
``It's not that old, but buildings have a hard life in this environment.''
Although he could not rule out building on the site again, it would be an ``extremely valuable'' addition to the beginners slope.
During the past winter the building housed the ski patrol team, first-aid contractors medical rescue and a creche. Alternative space had yet to be found for those users, although a consent application for a new medical facilities building was being prepared.
Mr Lawrence said as much of the building would be recycled as possible to be ``environmentally friendly'' and minimise landfill costs.
Concrete would be crushed and used on the skifield's access road and car parks.
Items from the interior were being offered for sale online.