Museum of Transport and Technology

The Auckland Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) is a treasured Auckland venue, popular with children and local, national and international visitors. When MOTAT needed a new display hall to showcase an impressive collection of aircraft, they called in the expert team at Holmes to design a structure that would do justice to their exceptional exhibits.

MOTAT required a large clear span, much like an aircraft hangar. But, while a hangar often lives and dies by its functionality, MOTAT also needed the structure to be visually and atmospherically compelling—a space where visitors feel engaged and inspired. Holmes designed a striking timber structure, using laminated veneer lumber (LVL). The building features portal frames that achieve a 42m clear span—the longest timber span in New Zealand—ensuring a seamless exhibition space. The structure is 55m long, 50m wide and 15m high, and fitted out to MOTAT’s very high standards of presentation.

The MOTAT project has been awarded several prestigious awards. It received local and national NZIA awards for Sustainable Architecture and a local NZIA award for Public Architecture. NZ Wood recognized the project in the Clever Wood Solutions category. Additionally, it earned a High Commendation for Commercial Engineering Excellence and a Sustainability Commendation.