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A decommissioned Boeing 747 is about to be suspended between two high-rise apartment buildings in downtown Seattle. This cool installation is set to hang around 14 feet (4.2 meters) above the ground between the two towers of the WB 1200 Project (1200 Stewart Street, Seattle, WA 98101).
This mixed-use apartment building is located in the Denny Triangle neighbourhood, near Downtown and South Lake Union. This area, in recent years, has seen widespread investment from tech companies and apartment complexes. The final resting place for this unique aircraft is a nod to the aviation history of Seattle, the birthplace of American plane maker Boeing.
United Airlines Boeing 747
The aircraft will be the centerpiece of a three-story podium at the ground of the project, with the plane destined to be part of a mixed-use workspace. Wedged between Denny Way, Minor Ave, and Stewart Street, the lot used to be a parking lot and low-rise buildings. Many concepts were suggested for the lot until the current 47-story mixed-use apartment complex plan was finalised.
For the Boeing 747, it was purchased from ComAv, where it was stored in Victorville, California, and has since been dismantled and transported in 39 body parts to downtown Seattle. Thus far, more than half of the jet’s fuselage panels are now in place, according to the Seattle Times.
As the centerpiece of this project, the plane is almost unrecognisable from its days flying as a workhorse for 
United Airlines, as it has been stripped back to its raw aluminum finish, with intact nose, tail, and gear. Within the galleria, it is earmarked to include a 40,000 square foot soft live nation venue, alongside a 16,000 square foot Trader Joe’s grocer, alongside up to 50,000 square feet of retail space, and 20,000 square feet of office space.
Boeing 747-400 N178UA
According to Build Core, the aircraft being used at the site is that of N178UA (pictured), with serial number 24385. ch-aviation aircraft data outlining this plane’s history dates back to October 23, 1990, when it took its first test flight. It is a 747-422, and carries Hex code A138A8. It was delivered to United Airlines on November 8, 1990, and operated for the carrier up until October 2017, when it was retired.
During its operating lifespan, it operated some of Chicago-based United Airlines’ most iconic long-haul routes, and was configured to carry up to 374 passengers across a three-class configuration, as detailed in the table below:
|
First Class |
12 |
|---|---|
|
Business Class |
52 |
|
Economy Class |
310 |
|
TOTAL SEATS |
374 |
The plane was powered by four Pratt & Whitney PW4056 engines. While United Airlines no longer operates the 747, colloquially known as the ‘Queen Of The Skies’, the Star Alliance carrier once operated a total of 44 of the type, between 1989 and 2017. It was the last operator of the type in the United States and was replaced by the Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. UA also once operated the 747-100, 747-200B, and 747SP throughout various times in its history.
You Can Buy This Ultra-Rare VIP Boeing 747SP Right Now
This 46-year-old Boeing 747SP now has a VIP configuration and can carry 60 passengers.
What Will Be Inside The Aircraft?
The interior of the plane is proposed to become a workspace. To support the plane’s weight, extensive structural work is underway, including distributing vertical loads into podium framing and ensuring controlled swing and vibration so the plane can remain stable with occupant movement or earthquakes.
With the plane installed in its new home, work on the exterior of the plane is set to be finished next month, with continued work for its surroundings to take longer. Those interested in purchasing one of the apartments in the complex are expected to have deep pockets, given its highly desirable downtown location. The complex itself is planned to have a resident day care programme, rooftop clubhouses, and a rooftop pool (above the Galleria).
This is not the first time a Boeing 747 has been suspended in or around a building; one of the most well-known 747 installations is that at Technik Museum Speyer in Germany. The historic Boeing 747-230 (Schleswig-Holstein) sits above the exhibition hall of the museum on top of 30-meter steel poles.
