concept & vision

over two-hundred Boeing 727 and 737 fuselages are stacked in a north south slant in relation to sun exposure. Two shifts in the axial direction generate two large open spaces within the stack.

design & architecture

our building utilizes spaces inside the fuselages to contain and organize program that require enclosed spaces such as book collections, meeting rooms and administration offices, while the two open spaces house a large atrium with reading areas and two auditoriums

program & use

a large glazed atrium develops vertically through the entire cross section and functions as a lobby and information center on the lower levels. Reading areas bridge between the two opposite interior facades generated by the cross sections of the fuselages and look onto the atrium. The fuselages adjacent to the atrium house book collections, meeting rooms and technology centers. These cylindrical volumes envelope different activities, physically separated from the main atrium space yet visually connected thru their glazed ends. A transparent LCD system is integrated in the atrium glazing and projects selected library activities onto the new plaza expanding its presence on the outside with moving images and text

impact & significance

we learn that the fuselage is the only part of a decommissioned airplane that cannot be effectively recycled as the cost of its demolition exceeds the profit of aluminum resale. And that a big amount of fuselages lay in the deserts of our western states, with Boeing 727 and 737 in great abundance as they are historically the most sold commercial planes. We visit these graveyards and discover that decommissioned fuselages are available completely stripped of their furnishing and in great structural conditions—we are compelled to test these incredible works of engineering, and these fantastical spaces