AvGeek alert: There’s a 747-fuselage suspended between 2 Seattle high rises – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Pixabay)
Seattle – High above a bustling construction site near downtown, sections of a retired Boeing 747-400 airplane now span the gap between two soaring 48-story residential towers. This striking feature anchors the Aero1200 project at 1200 Stewart Street, a mixed-use development promising rooftop pools, a vast Live Nation event venue and a Trader Joe’s store. Local aviation enthusiasts and passersby alike pause to gaze at the fuselage, a tribute to the city’s aerospace heritage in the self-proclaimed Jet City.
A Nod to Boeing’s Enduring Legacy
The Aero1200 development draws inspiration from Seattle’s deep ties to Boeing, where the 747 earned its nickname as the Queen of the Skies. Originally designed by Henriquez Partners Architects with Vancouver-based Westbank, the project broke ground in 2018. Delays from the pandemic, labor strikes and financial hurdles slowed progress until Toronto’s OP Trust took over.
Matthew Burchette, senior curator at the Museum of Flight, captured the sentiment surrounding the fuselage. “We are Jet City, so why not add the aircraft that revolutionized modern air travel?” he said. “Plus, it’s just cool.” The Museum of Flight itself houses the first 747 ever built, underscoring the plane’s historical significance in the region.
From California Boneyard to Urban Skyline
Acquiring and transporting the decommissioned 747, registered as N178UA, proved far more challenging than sketching it into the blueprints. Workers sourced the fuselage from a boneyard in Victorville, California. Initial plans called for moving the aircraft intact, but practicality demanded otherwise…