Thursday, February 16, 2012

  Largest house made from recycled Euros: Frank Buckley sets world record (Video)

DUBLIN, Ireland--An unemployed Irish artist, Frank Buckley, has built a 'billion euro home' from the shredded remains of decommissioned banknotes in an an unused office space in Smithfield Square, Dublin; he used 1.4 billion euros ($1.82 billion) of useless notes to create an entire apartment which contains a living room, bedroom and bathroom — and the artist is currently working on adding a kitchen and hall , setting the world record for the Largest house made from recycled Euros , according to World Record Academy (worldrecordsacademy.org).
Photo: Artist Frank Buckley's house made from shredded euro worth EUR1.4.billion. It can be seen at the Glass House, Coke Lane, Smithfield, Dublin. All Photos courtesy of Melvin Brennan ( enlarge photo )

The Guinness world record for the most plastic bottles recycled in eight hours weigh 8,799.9 kg (19,400.45 lb) and was achieved by Nestle Waters China Project WET in Shanghai, China .

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the most plastic bags recycled in 8 hours: 120,000, achieved by Consorzio SEA (Italy) in Fossano, Italy.

  Each feature is constructed through 'bricks' made purely of compressed former currency, and as the artist notes, 'it's just paper'.

( enlarge photos )

  Frank Buckley built the apartment in the lobby of an abandoned Dublin office building, left vacant since its completion in the Irish construction boom. It remains as a sad reminder of what the euro crisis has left in its wake.

 "It can't be a hold on everything. It's ruining people." He said of the currency.
 "It's a reflection of the whole madness that gripped us," Buckley indicated.

 "People were pouring billions into buildings now worth nothing. I wanted to create something from nothing."

  Mixed-media artworks line the walls, and coins decorate the apartment further — made from Irish 5 pence pieces — perhaps a poignant reminder of what the country once enjoyed. However, at the least, this unemployed artist doesn't go cold at night.

 "Whatever you say about the euro, it's a great insulator."