Jet Fuselage to Become Part of Seattle High-Rise

A Boeing 747 will serve as the atrium between two South Lake Union office buildings.

1 minute read

November 22, 2021, 8:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Instead of the glassy atriums that commonly connect any high-rise around the world, one Seattle development will instead be connected by the fuselage of a defunct Boeing 747 jet, reports Heidi Groover. The design is "a nod to Seattle’s industrial past in the heart of its new tech capital" and will serve as office space for Westbank.

Meanwhile:

​​Uncertainty lingers about the future of office work for neighborhood giant Amazon, which will allow many of its white-collar employees to work remotely indefinitely. Meanwhile, several high-rise towers are underway in South Lake Union, some with rents as high as $2,500 for a studio.

While demand for high-rise office space dropped precipitously during the pandemic, vacancy rates have started to drop as more companies bring workers back to the office and urban residents return to downtown cores. Developers express confidence that demand will continue to rise in both commercial and residential buildings, according to Groover's sources.

Saturday, November 13, 2021 in The Seattle Times

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 16, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

A cluster of wind turbines beneath a stormy sky, above a forest where the leaves are beginning to change colors.

5 New England states march closer to 800 megawatt wind energy project

Securing federal approval for the project may be complicated under the Trump administration, which has historically been hostile towards domestic wind power.

5 hours ago - Inside Climate News

People boarding a bus on Maryland's Orange Route.

Baltimore to break ground on $50 million Transit Priority Project

The project will bring faster bus trips, safer streets and better bike connections to Baltimore.

6 hours ago - Mass Transit

A brick building with a circular sign with the Airbnb logo hanging off of it.

Airbnb launches $250 million 'last-dollar financing' housing accelerator, makes first investment in Austin

The company will put $6.4 million towards affordable housing development in Texas’ capital.

7 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.