28 Sep 2026
We’re pleased to share that Air New Zealand Hangar 4 and Ngā Hau a Tāwhirirangi – Forces of Flight at the Musuem of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) have been named as finalists in the 2026 Best Design Awards.
The two projects, while different in scale and purpose, share an approach to aviation through the experience of people, whether they work on the hangar floor or are discovering the science of flight for the first time.
Air New Zealand Hangar 4
Air New Zealand Hangar 4 has been shortlisted in the Workplace Environments category.
Located at the airline’s engineering base at Auckland Airport, Hangar 4 expands Air New Zealand’s maintenance capability while creating a brighter, more considered workplace for its engineering teams.
The 98-metre clear-span hangar can accommodate a widebody aircraft alongside two narrowbody aircraft, with shared workshops and support spaces kept close to the hangar floor. A series of engineered mass timber arches forms the primary structure, creating a warm and ordered interior within a building type more commonly associated with steel.
Above, translucent ETFE roof cladding brings diffuse natural light across the hangar floor, supporting the detailed work carried out by engineering teams over long shifts.
Hangar 4 has achieved a 6 Star Green Star Design rating, with an as-built rating being pursued. The project also considered operational energy, water use, construction waste, and embodied carbon as part of its wider approach to performance.
Ngā Hau a Tāwhirirangi – Forces of Flight
Ngā Hau a Tāwhirirangi – Forces of Flight has been shortlisted in the Exhibitions and Temporary Structures category.
For Studio Pacific, the project was a rare full-circle opportunity. Having designed the award-winning Aviation Hall extension in 2011, we were invited back more than a decade later to transform its underutilised mezzanine into a destination in its own right.
Working closely with the exhibitions team, the design strengthens the connection between the building, the collection and the visitor experience. A sculptural suspended Sky Path draws visitors upwards through the gallery, while collection displays, interactives and storytelling come together to bring the wonder and science of flight to life.
Developed in collaboration with scientists, Māori knowledge holders and creative practitioners, the exhibition weaves together Western science and te ao Māori concepts to create a uniquely Aotearoa experience. Connecting culture, learning and aviation heritage, it invites tamariki and whānau to explore the forces of flight through curiosity, play and discovery.
We're proud to see this collaboration recognised in this year's Best Design Awards and congratulate MOTAT, the wider project team and all contributors who helped bring it to life.
Air New Zealand Hangar 4
Ngā Hau a Tāwhirirangi – Forces of Flight at MOTAT. Image by Mark Smith, courtesy of MOTAT
Ngā Hau a Tāwhirirangi – Forces of Flight at MOTAT. Image by Mark Smith, courtesy of MOTAT