Goodyear Blimp has a huge new hangar in Carson

Drivers taking the 405 through Carson may notice an odd new structure near the intersection with the 110 freeway this week—one that looks a bit like an enormous bouncy castle.

That would be the new home of the Goodyear Blimp, erected overnight at the company’s blimp base Wednesday. Appropriately, the 337-foot-long hangar is fully inflatable and maintains its structure through the use of 20 fans.

By Goodyear’s estimation, the hangar, which rises nine stories in height and is comprised of more than 73 miles of PVC-coated polyester fabric, is the largest structure of its kind in North America. It will house Wingfoot Two, the company’s newest airship, which replaced the 31-year-old Spirit of Innovation earlier this year.

That blimp generally sat tied down in a field when not in use, but Wingfoot Two—which is technically a rigid airship, not a blimp—will need a bit more protection from the elements.

Right now, the cavernous hangar sits empty, but the airship its designed to house is slated to arrive Friday from its temporary home in Long Beach, according to the Associated Press.

• More Than Hot Air: The Lasting Impact of Inflatable Architecture [Curbed LA]