Rotorua's major platform of entertainment should come out of its shell within two weeks.

High security fences closed the Soundshell from the public several months ago.

The building has been gutted inside, with the awkward process of removing asbestos.

Soon the acknowledged home of such legendary groups as the Howard Morrison Quartet in the 1950s will be reduced to rubble.

For many years, it stood sentinel on the southern tip of Lake Rotorua.

It was earmarked for demolition following earthquake damage.

Deputy Mayor Dave Donaldson sought an update on the building as it related to asbestos at today's operations and monitoring committee of the Rotorua Lakes Council.

The council's group manager Henry Weston says issues had arisen over its removal.

The demolition to make way for developments on the Lakefront had been signalled several months ago. But until now little visible sign externally was evident.

'What's been going on inside is actually quite intriguing,” Henry told councillors today.

A contractor experienced in asbestos removal had required an overseer, along with project managers.

'Out of Wellington, they're saying his is one of the more complex buildings they've seen and there have been one or two issues as we've gone through the process.

'We're now at the stage where we're seeing emails describing how each of the surfaces (of asbestos) needs to be wiped down. Exactly how you use a wet-wipe: the instructions are quite detailed.

'You have one wipe on one side of the wet wipe and one wipe on the of the side of the wet wipe and you carefully dispose of it and move on to the next wet wipe.”

Henry says every single surface is being cleaned.

'Every time we think we're there they test again and some remnant is found.

'We think we're there now.”

The scalloped shelled roofing became as noted as the Rotorua Museum, which is also closed for structural repairs.

Sufficient laborious work had been undertaken so that the outer walls will be removed over the next two weeks.

Next Monday, Henry Weston says, 'divisible” destruction would start to take place.

The roofing wings will go first. A week later, big machinery will roll in to take it down.

'So, we're pretty well there.

'There's been a massive amount going on inside.”