Perfect landing - New Aviation Display Hall at MOTAT by architect Evzen Novak

In a world filled with the clamour of more instant distractions, it may take a dramatic gesture to inspire and motivate museum-goers. So when MOTAT required a new display hangar as part of a multistage upgrade, it pulled away all the chocks to achieve a leading-edge building in aesthetics, material use and sustainability.

The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) approached architect Evzen Novak of Studio Pacific Architecture to undertake the various stages of its master plan to preserve the integrity of its prized aviation collection. Resiting of a Blister hangar was first on the list, to be followed by the long-awaited second stage the Aviation Display Hall Extension. An upgrade to the existing Lancaster hangar was third. The new hall had to provide optimum viewing of the historic planes, and reflect ground-breaking design, says Novak.

"The concept was mooted of using laminated wooden portal frames for the structure. This idea had an antecedent in the Blister hangar, also made from wood albeit in a more low-tech way," says Novak. "Studio Pacific initiated the commissioning of a research paper from Scion, a Crown Research Institute, into the carbon balance and embodied energy of different structural systems, which ultimately supported the use of timber on this scale.

"In fact, it is the size of the hall coupled with its sustainable construction material that marks it as a design leader for this type of application."

To achieve the 42m internal width required for the larger planes, the laminated veneer lumber (LVL) structure had to have parallel double columns on either side. Light to work with, easily craned into place and made from a renewable resource, the LVL framework would also complement the older, planes on display, many constructed from wood. Internal wood veneer finishes add to the aesthetic.

Connected to and extending the Lancaster hangar both are portal frame structures the new building is more akin to a heated, protected museum exhibition space than a drafty garage. Essentially a large showcase for the planes, the building includes a mezzanine floor, complete with a classroom, services and viewing platform on its southern side. On its northern side, the columns separate off a long gallery space that also acts as a 12m-high solar chimney. This extracts heat in summer and supplies heat in winter, through a passive ventilation strategy. This natural ventilation system obviates the need for air conditioning and contributes to the eco-friendliness of the building.

Besides the wraparound roof, reminiscent of an aircraft wing, and the giant 28m-wide hangar door, it is the north-facing glass-fronted side gallery that gives the exterior its architectural appeal.

"From the outside, the Aviation Display Hall is a wonderful addition to the Western Springs precinct," says Novak. "Inside, the planes are kept in relative darkness, safe from harmful UV light. Wind and light locks ensure the integrity of the interior."

Story by: Trendsideas