Building A Library From Recycled Airplanes
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 04.21.06
A design firm called LOT-EK from New York has just proposed reusing more than two hundred discarded fuselages from Boeing 727 and 737 airplanes as the major structural components for a new library in Guadalajara, Mexico. The airplane shells would be "stacked in a north-south slant in relation to sun exposure for energy efficiency" according to the designers. The fuselage is the only part of a decommissioned airplane that cannot be effectively recycled.
The cost of its demolition exceeds the profit of aluminum resale. A huge amount of fuselages lay in the deserts of the western states. Boeing 727 and 737 are historically the most sold commercial planes and therefore the most common in these graveyards. They are sold at very low prices completely stripped and in great structural conditions. :: noticias arquitectura via Inhabitat via BLDGBLOG
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isn't there are market for this kind of scrap? why do this?
Where can you buy these things? What do they mean by "inexpensive"?
I could use a new storage shed in my back yard.
That would make for kind of a cool one. Or maybe an interesting (gigantic) playhouse for the kids. (I live on 5 acres.)
Pipe dream.
Anyone can buy this stuff, you just have to go to the source. Inexpensive is relative. It's not going to come close to the prefab plastic or aluminum sheds you can buy. Mythbusters (TV show) have used old airplane parts for many of their myths.
as a librarian, i'm interested but also think this is a disaster of a building plan for public library use. records storage, sure. but how to organize a collection when you have a huge series of hallways that only meet at one point? how do you train staff to shelve it? how do you help patrons access materials? how do you observe what's happening in different areas of the building? i see on the link that conveyor belts will be used to access books - which will only work if everything is working and organized perfectly, and your patrons are very patient.
neat idea for a building, bad idea for a public library.
I believe the architects did a fascinating futuristic effective design in terms of fully utilizing the space available for the library and plaza. Also, its awesome that they considered the amount of natural environmental light available for use during the planning stages of the library design. Job well done.
I echo PAT's thoughts; it's a pipe dream.
Heck, cargo containers would be even more stackable and believable.
It looks neat, but if you'll pardon the pun, it'll never fly ;)
no worries. it didn't win the competition.
Hmm, I have an idea for a new business -- buying old plane fuselages and using them to manufacture plane boats (http://www.captain-net.com/plane-boat.html).