The doors open to a pair of freshly restored WWII hangars at Scotland’s National Museum of Flight today.

Built in the early 1940s, the two structures were only designed to last a few years but have been given a new lease of life by architects Smith Scott Mullan Associates. They form part of the larger National Museum of Flight complex in a former airfield used in the First and Second World Wars.

In addition to restoring the hangars, the firm also added interactive displays, insulated the spaces and installed a heating system. The transformation has been funded by grants from the Scottish government and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

‘Open the door of these two WWII hangars and you are opening the door to history,’ said Lucy Casot, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland. ‘The stories of incredible flying machines come to life in a way which will inspire, teach and let imaginations fly.’

One of the hangars displays military aircraft while the other houses commercial and leisure planes. In total, there are more than 30 aircrafts on show – spanning a century in aviation – ranging from the RAF’s first supersonic jet fighter to smaller exhibits such as uniforms and photographs.