MOTAT - AVIATION FLIGHT PATH

THE PRODUCT:

• ORGANA™ - FABRIC TENSION SHAPES & FORMS

TYPE: suspended

INDUSTRY: events & exhibition

APPLICATION: aesthetic treatment

GRAPHICS: full-colour dye-sublimated graphics - printed from supplied artwork

SIZES: various sizes, shapes & forms manufactured to specification on order

LOCATION: Auckland

ARCHITECT: Studio Pacific

INSTALLATION: MOTAT - Contractor

OVERVIEW:

Animating large-scale, open warehouse environments is inherently complex — particularly within museum and exhibition contexts where narrative, object, and visitor flow must coexist within a single spatial language. Introduce suspended aircraft, layered aviation artefacts, and interactive installations, and the challenge becomes one of orchestration: how to unify disparate elements into a cohesive, immersive experience.

Working with Studio Pacific, the design intent centred on a unifying gesture — a grand, fluid “flight path” that would move through the volume of the space. Rather than competing with the exhibits, this intervention was conceived as an atmospheric layer: a continuous, organic form that guides the eye, anchors movement, and reinforces the storytelling of flight through light, scale, and motion.

Two sculptural elements were developed, each spanning over 25 metres, suspended and weaving through the architecture — wrapping around structural columns and connecting ground and first-floor sightlines. Critically, these were not repetitive or modular geometries. Each form was entirely non-linear, with no repeated radii and no consistent plane — requiring a highly resolved approach to both engineering and fabrication.

To realise this, a bespoke 50mm aluminium framework was developed and rationalised into a series of interconnected sections. Each component needed to achieve a balance between structural integrity and weight efficiency, ensuring the forms maintained their precise geometry once installed, while remaining viable for suspension within the existing building constraints. Suspension strategies were equally critical, with fixing points carefully calculated to control the spatial positioning and “read” of the forms along their full length.

The fabric skin — integral to both the visual outcome and the lighting performance — demanded a similarly rigorous approach. Patterning, cutting, and sewing were resolved to accommodate the complex geometry, with strategically located access zips positioned along the negative face of the structure. This allowed the skin to be installed with precision while maintaining a seamless external appearance. Once tensioned, the result is a continuous, fluid surface — free of distortion, enabling the forms to read as singular, sculptural elements.

When paired with integrated lighting, the installation transforms from a static object into a dynamic sensory layer. Light travels across the fabric surfaces, accentuating curvature and movement, reinforcing the conceptual narrative of flight while enhancing wayfinding and spatial orientation.

For architects, designers, and museum specialists, the project highlights the potential of large-scale suspended interventions to do more than occupy space — they can connect, guide, and elevate. It is a demonstration of how complex geometry, when carefully engineered and resolved, can translate conceptual intent into a built outcome that is both technically robust and experientially compelling.