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 lays in the deserts of the western states. Boeing 727 and 737 are the most common in these graveyards. They are sold at very low prices stripped and in good conditions.

LOT-EK‘s proposal for the Jalisco Library, Gudalajara, Mexico competition was to stack over 200 Boeing 727 and 737 fuselages in a north-south slant in relation to sun exposure for energy efficiency.

The building would use the space inside the fuselages to contain and organize functions that require enclosed spaces – such as book collections, meeting rooms and administration offices, – while the 2 large open spaces house a large atrium with all the reading areas on one side and two auditoriums on the other.

A transparent LCD system is integrated in the atrium glazing and projects the library activities onto the plaza.

The fuselage is insulated and furnished. Its upper section is used for inhabitation while the lower one houses independent and interconnected mechanical systems: HVAC, electrical, cabling, and a conveyor belts network for the mechanical distribution of the books.

Lot-Ek didn