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Recycled Subway Cars

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Recycled Subway Cars Turned into Studios in London

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/11/28/village-underground-subway-cars-studio-space/

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Enterprising young artists in the London scene are usually presented with the dilemma of having to rent extremely expensive studio space in order to be able to work. This led furniture designer Auro Foxcroft to a rather ingenious and environmentally conscious solution. What was it? Take old subway cars, mount them on a rooftop, and use them for office space! A bit sparse? Sure! But these recycled subway cars are sure to inspire other green-minded, socially conscious artistic efforts.

Located on top of an old brick warehouse in Shoreditch, London, Village Underground provides affordable studio space for young artists (around 15 pounds per week). The subway cars act as working spaces for the artists, while a lower-level restored warehouse is used to host events and exhibit the artists’ works.

The four subway vehicles that make up the village were purchased for a grand total of 200 pounds each. They were then moved on top of the warehouse, and retrofitted to create a working space. The seats inside the carriages were removed, but everything else remains as is (one can even go into the cabin to play around with all the buttons and levers).







The best bit? There are plans to expand this concept to Berlin, Lisbon, and Toronto. Needless to say, we love it.
 
Sounds like a pretty clever concept. And the H-series cars would certainly provide artists with a lot more workspace than that old tube stock!
 
NYC dumps theirs off the coast of North Carolina.... What a waste.

I think it would be neat to turn one into a travel trailer.
 
I wonder where downtown Toronto these subway lofts would go. Maybe they'll throw in a couple of Gloucester's and a few maintenance trains along with it.

And remember one of those H series that were quickly retired for being a fire hazard.
 
Wow, this sounds great. I like all this recycling/reusing, especially shipping container condos that seem to be gaining speed. Those tube cars look kind of awkward though... The H-series cars should definitely give a lot more possibilities. Just need to find a place to put them now...

@ coral reef talk: I would have thought that Lake Ontario could use a couple more artificial reefs, actually. I think the great lakes diving experience is one of the most underexposed/undervalued parts of southern Ontario. There's just so much interesting stuff; hundreds of years of shipwrecks. Some artificial reefs could make for some easier and more controllable reef experiences though, but I would have hoped for something more interesting than subways...
 
Metals are too valuable to dump in the water these days. I think most old cars are likely to be sent to the smelter instead.
 
heating/cooling

Without much insulation, won't these cost a fortune to heat and cool? Neat idea, but I'm not sure it's as practical as it is photogenic.
 

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