A structure most similar to the Starship Enterprise is the main piece of a retail redevelopment worth $50 million at the Auckland International Airport's departures region which got inaugurated today.

The lit-up structure all covered up with fabric stands up from a tiled trunk and is targeted at becoming one memorable feature for the 13 million passengers who go via the terminal.

The structure is called the Pou Manawa, and it replaces the Percival Gull airplane which at present hangs over the arrivals region. There are images showing carvings of birds, travel, flight and voyaging repeatedly projected in and around the fabric surface.

The extended retail area updates the 1980s styled shopping region and consists of specialty outlets available in the airport for the first time ever like for instance Apple, MAC cosmetics, Swatch watches and Adidas etc.

Mayor of Auckland, Len Brown got reminded of a ship off Star Trek on seeing the Pou Manawa structure.

The general manager of retail of Auckland Airport, Adrian Littlewood said that the appearance of the duty free region had dated since the last big progress in the 1980s. The airport was busier than any shopping mall in NZ with the crowd of travellers.