Air New Zealand Hangar 4

The Southern Hemisphere’s largest single-span timber aircraft hangar is now part of Air New Zealand’s maintenance base in Auckland. Designed by Studio Pacific Architecture, Hangar 4 is a 15,000m² facility that sets a new benchmark for sustainable aviation infrastructure.

Studio Pacific provided masterplanning, architecture, and lead consultancy services across the complex, which includes a 10,000m² hangar capable of housing a widebody and two narrowbody aircraft, alongside 5,000m² of workshops and engineering spaces. The new building integrates seamlessly with existing hangars, apron areas, and live airside operations.

With a clear span of about 98 metres, Hangar 4 is the largest single-span timber arch aircraft hangar in the Southern Hemisphere – one and a half times the size of Air New Zealand’s largest existing hangar. The prefabricated timber trusses, each weighing 38 tonnes, were lifted into place on site using New Zealand’s largest crawler crane. Timber was chosen for its light weight, seismic resilience, and resistance to coastal corrosion, offering advantages over conventional steel construction.

Integration with adjacent workshops and apron operations required careful sequencing to ensure safety and uninterrupted service across the airline’s engineering base.

 

Built with Sustainability in Mind

• Mass Timber Structure – Achieves significant embodied carbon savings while acting as a long-term carbon sink.
• Green Star 6 Certification – Recognised by the NZGBC for world-leading sustainability performance.
• ETFE Roof System – Provides natural daylight, controlled glare, thermal resistance, and durability.
• Environmental Resilience – Timber structure flexes during seismic events; materials avoid coastal corrosion risks.
• Workplace Wellbeing – Natural daylight, efficient air handling, and optimised thermal comfort for year-round operations.

Hangar 4 strengthens Air New Zealand’s engineering capacity while showcasing a world-first in large-scale timber design – setting a new precedent for aviation infrastructure that is both resilient and climate-positive.

 

Project Partners: Holmes Group, Dunning Thornton, AECOM, GHD, TSA, BBD, ECubed, AES, Ergo, NZ Strong