10 Office-Boosting Furniture Items Created with Recycled Plane Parts
By Julian, Business Pundit, 27 April 2015.
By Julian, Business Pundit, 27 April 2015.
From elegant airliners to military jets, airplanes are truly incredible examples of engineering ingenuity, and they’ve made journeys that were thought impossible only a hundred years ago into an everyday reality. Still, even these cutting-edge machines have a limited existence, as fatigue and advancing technology conspire to make individual aircraft obsolete. The result? An undignified dump in a scrapyard.
Today, though, a handful of modern design companies are transforming redundant plane parts reclaimed from aircraft graveyards into striking contemporary office furniture. Bold and vibrant, these pieces are perfect for creating an inspirational workspace at any company, and there’s also the bonus of helping, in a small way, to save on waste and preserve the planet.
10. 1968 A-7 Corsair II Belly Tank Sofa
Want your organization to stand out from the crowd? Then perhaps this bright red sofa - which started out life as an attack jet’s fuel tank - is just the ticket when it comes to picking out office decor. Part of U.K. design firm Hangar 54’s “aviation furniture” range, the eye-catching piece boasts a part taken from a 1960s-era Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II jet that was sadly scrapped. Brothers Brett and Shane Armstrong, however, have imaginatively repurposed the tank to create a handsome couch with room enough for three people. The piece’s price tag of US$37,000 shows that such workmanship doesn’t come cheap, although renting it instead through Hangar 54’s product-leasing scheme may be another, more affordable option. Wherever it ends up, though, this bespoke sofa is sure to turn heads.
9. Fuselage Desk
Anyone who thinks that workspace cubicles have to be dull should have their mind changed forever by MotoArt’s astonishing Fuselage Desk. Conceived by Donavan Fell and Dave Hall, this inspired piece combines a section of the main body of an airplane with an aluminium-clad table to offer a dynamic and robust workstation. Even better, it’s customizable: there’s the option of having as many as five porthole windows within the fuselage section, as well as either an additional painted, polished or satin exterior finish to coordinate with other office design elements. Indeed, the Fuselage Desk was designed to remind employees that “they are part of a force that isn’t like the rest of the world” - a force that, in fact, is as unique and creative as the desk itself.
8. DC-8 Dual Cowling Reception Desk
The McDonnell Douglas DC-8 aircraft first went into production in the late 1950s, but this brilliantly reimagined reception desk - crafted from two of the jetliner’s engine coverings - is more than fit for a 21st-century office. The DC-8 Dual Cowling Reception Desk conforms to U.S. government standards for use by those in wheelchairs and can be used by either one or two employees, who may want to take advantage of its ever-necessary data ports. Moreover, the audacious design from California-based firm MotoArt has been built with longevity - as well as style - in mind. Fitting, perhaps, as the McDonnell Douglas DC-8 aircraft themselves are certainly durable; in fact, some are still in operation to this day.
7. Lycoming R-680 9 Cylinder Radial Engine Table
Transforming recycled airplane parts into inspired examples of interior design can be a protracted process, but the results may be stunning, and this incredible coffee table is certainly a case in point. The piece incorporates a gleaming air-cooled radial engine sourced from the Canadian Museum of Flight; in a previous life, the engine was part of a Boeing-Stearman PT-13 biplane that was constructed in the late 1930s and operated by the U.S. Army. Beautifully crowned by a square glass top, the Lycoming R-680 9 Cylinder Radial Engine Table is available to purchase from London-based modern design firm Decoratum for the princely sum of nearly US$30,000. Although not a specialist in aviation furniture, the company also offers a striking centre table made from propeller heads among its range.
6. F-Light
Paris-based architect Paul Coudamy’s F-Light venture proves that, with a little imagination and skill, the internal walls from a scrapped Airbus A300 jetliner can be transformed into a stunning lighting fixture. Coudamy originally created the system for French aircraft recycling project FLOWN, which in turn has described F-Light as “monumental” - and it’s easy to see why. The result is a bold visual statement with a modular design that leads to near-infinite possibilities in terms of size and shape. The F-Light’s arched contouring, meanwhile, effects a “floating ceiling” that can separate a space and produce a warm, consistent light underneath, making it the perfect fit for an innovative workplace.
5. C-130 Navigator’s Chair
Another iconic stalwart of the skies, the Lockheed C-130 Hercules has been in military service since 1954. And with over 2,400 of the planes produced, it’s perhaps not surprising that various parts from decommissioned Hercules aircraft have found their way into the hands of MotoArt. This time, the firm took a C-130 Hercules navigator’s seat and gave it a striking makeover, completely reconditioning the original metalwork and reskinning the chair in vibrant red fabric. The limited-edition item also boasts what MotoArt calls “low-profile casters” for easy movement; and with its adjustability and built-in arm rests, comfort is a given.
4. Fuselage Clock
U.K. firm Fallen Furniture’s innovative Fuselage Clock acts as an exceptionally stylish way to keep track of time in that next crucial client appointment. And a fair few hours went into the creation of the timepiece itself: after being carved out of the grounded hulk of a Boeing 747, the window piece that makes up the clock underwent a painstaking sequence of washing, modelling and refining. With the addition of those all-important hands, the creation reached its current statement-making form - and it’s something that would look very slick indeed on any boardroom wall. The clock is part of an impressive plane-repurposing furnishings range from Fallen Furniture, a company begun by siblings Ben and Harry Tucker.
3. Demonstrator Sidewinder Missile Table
The AIM-9 Sidewinder missile has been fitted to - and fired from - generations of fighter jets ever since it was conceived by the U.S. Navy in the mid-20th century. And although the weapon has destroyed more than 250 aircraft in its time, it’s nevertheless perfectly safe - and looks amazing - as part of this cool, contemporary glass-topped table. The highly polished shell of a once-lethal Sidewinder forms the base of the stunning creation from British aviation furniture company Intrepid Design. At US$22,000, though, this isn’t an impulse purchase, but for a table that gives an office considerable style impact, look no further.
2. Mk3 Ejector Seat Black Leather
Using a vintage ejector seat as an office chair is a sure-fire way to inject a bit of thrill into the workplace, and this clever design from the team at Hangar 54 ought to do just that. Moreover, it incorporates a device with a rather heroic pedigree. Martin-Baker’s ground-breaking ejector seat first saved a pilot’s life in 1949; the company’s Mk3 model, meanwhile, was alone responsible for preventing 255 further deaths. And it’s the base of a 1955 Martin-Baker Mk3 ejector seat used here, upholstered with plush black leather and mounted on superbly restored, chrome-finished exhaust cylinders. Sadly, though, it’s unlikely to be able to fling its owner out of that next tedious accounts meeting.
1. Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet Conference Table
Few airplanes are more iconic than Boeing’s 747, and few conference tables are as impressive as the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet Conference Table, created around a retired General Electric engine housing for a 747 craft. A dozen people can fit round the inspiring custom-made item - built using a magnificent engine stator with rainbow LED lights, all set below a sleek glass surface. It’s also fit for a contemporary workspace, as those all-important data ports and phone sockets can be included in the design. MotoArt is behind the stunning table, and any firm wishing to snap it up will join some of the world’s biggest brands on the furniture company’s impressive client list; these include Microsoft, Red Bull and - appropriately - Boeing.
Top image: Hanger 54’s Cowling Reception Desk, made from salvaged plane engine coverings. Credit: Hangar 54.
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