Transit Stop Design Delivers Message In A Bottle
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.21.08
Yvette Hurt of Art in Motion in Lexington, Kentucky, notes that a Federal study concluded that more people used public transit systems that incorporated art. So they held a competition to design an arty bus shelter, which was won by Aaron Scales of McKay Snyder Architects, a local firm.
It is made of bottles of a local favourite beer ginger ale called Ale 8 One, donated by the brewery. “I'm from Kentucky, and Ale 8 One is something I've kind of grown up with,” said Scales, an architectural intern at McKay Snyder, who was a senior at the University of Kentucky when the shelter design was done.
Heineken WOBO bottles from 1963
I immediately got all excited that it might be like the Heineken WOBO (see TreeHugger or Inhabitat) or put together like a bottle building, but alas, they are just attached to each other with silicone and sandwiched between tempered glass.
Jennifer Hewlett of the Herald-Leader writes that "The glass and metal structure will be 6½ feet by 18 feet long and contain seats of various heights for LexTran riders. LexTran will put in the concrete base for the shelter, and will be responsible for the structure's upkeep.
Bottlestop will be environmentally friendly, not only because it will give new life to a lot of old, green Ale 8 One bottles as well as some clear glass bottles originally made for NuGrape soda, but because of its lighting system, those involved in the project said. At night, the shelter will be lit by solar-powered lights."
More on Bottle Buildings in TreeHugger:
Recycled Wine Bottle Building Wins Energy Grant
Bottle Buildings
A Well-Rounded, Dome-estic Wine with Fuller Aspirations
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Ale 8 one is a ginger ale soft drink not a beer.
As a resident of Lexington, I have to say I am ECSTATIC to see this design being considered for our bus stops. The transit system has been on the chopping block off and on here for a while, mostly because the people don't want to fund it with taxes because "no one rides it." The reason that no one rides it, however, is because no bus shelters exist, the stops are denoted by small signs on the side of the rode, and the bus schedule is virtually none existent.
Although, I've got one correction for you. Ale 8 One is not a local favorite beer, it's a local favorite ginger ale.
i gotta admit that this is a very simplistic, yet very rad idea. i'm very jealous that i don't live in lexington to be able see these when they get built.
It's cool, but I do think it would have been way better with the WOBO. I can't believe Heineken (or somebody else) hasn't re-introduced it!
Ale 8 is not just a ginger ale its a highly caffeinated ginger ale affectionately known as Kentucky Swamp Water. It tastes like swamp water to me, but there seem to be plenty of fans around here.