The visually arresting tilt of a huge architectural component within the interior at the Auckland Museum in New Zealand was a delightful surprise that I wanted to share with you.

Interior Atrium Architecture at the Auckland Museum

I had just traversed a somewhat gloomily lit gallery wing filled with period clothing and furniture and was completely and pleasantly surprised when I stepped into a huge, roofed over, and brightly illuminated interior courtyard. This was a complete surprise since I had done no research on the museum prior to my entrance and I certainly wasn’t expecting to find such a contemporary section within the very traditional exterior facade seen below.

Auckland Museum Exterior

The quality of light spilling into the atrium from various window angles was a refreshing change from the somberness of the galleries which are quite likely to be intentionally under-lit to preserve the various artwork and textiles. The large open space was certainly not silent or peaceful due to the amount of people milling around in the cafe area, the gift shop, and spilling in and out of the doors of the galleries that all funnelled them into that atrium. Yet it was a surprisingly muted sound when you consider the number of hard surfaces that are present. Certainly the vast expanses of timber in those overhead components must have been absorbing the sound. And it allowed us to eat our lunch and enjoy the interior architecture without being compelled to raise our voices to be heard across the tiny cafe table.

This is a beautiful museum and is highly recommended if you are visiting Auckland.

Auckland Museum Atrium