Auckland, New Zealand: The Civic Theater

Here's another architectural jewel that appeared to be headed to headed to the wrecking ball, only to be saved at the last minute and lives on to this day. 

The facility opened in 1929 as a movie theater, and immediately had problems. One was the Depression, naturally, as it was a tough time to grow a business. The owner also liked to show British films instead of the more popular American movies, which hurt ticket sales too. It hung on for decades, but looked to be spiraling down in the 1990s when ownership reverted to the city. 

But then a fundraising effort paid for a remodeling job that returned the place to its former glory. It can host movies, theater, and live concerts, making it a major spot for entertainment in downtown Auckland. It also pops up in the 2005 movie King Kong, as it was a stand-in for a theater in New York City. 

The Civic is said to have an atmospheric style of architecture in which the roof simulates the Great Outdoors at night - complete with twinkling stars. Sounds like fun.