Shipping Container Architecture

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Comment by Stefan Beese on November 22, 2009 at 3:11pm

Link was missing:
http://www.nola.com/voodoofest/index.ssf/2009/10/stefan_beese_brings_some_surpr.html

Comment by Stefan Beese on November 22, 2009 at 3:07pm

We just finished a shipping container project for The 2009 Voodoo Music and Art Festival in New Olreans.LA. Instead of building a grand stand with scaffolding with tents on top of it, we used six 40’ long shipping containers to create a large viewing deck and a lounge area with concession stand in the bottom of the structure. The two top containers cantilevered nine feet on each side, housing two bars and balconies to have a prime elevated viewing platform for performers such as KISS, Eminem, Lenny Kravitz and Silversum Pickups. These containers can be reused in same or different layout each year. More about the project here:

Comment by Vishal Charles on October 4, 2009 at 9:44am

Saw the article and slideshow online. One of the limiting factor in using shipping containers is the height if you want to stay within the modules- but who says you have to stay within :) I like it. here's the slideshow for anyone else who's interested:
http://www.dwell.com/slideshows/the-shipping-muse.html?paused=true

Comment by Nadine Bouler on October 3, 2009 at 6:52pm

Did you see Dwell this month featured a residence out of shipping containers? Some nice interior finishes, but not nearly as colorful as these buildings in the Netherlands.

Comment by Vishal Charles on March 21, 2009 at 10:22am

very interesting projects Jennie! there are a lot of good examples and I think a discussion thread is a good idea to take this forward. It'll be a good source for quick information or inspiration. I've started a thread on discussion forum

Comment by Jennie Santoro on March 20, 2009 at 6:46pm

I've seen the Freitag store in Zurich in person, but only from the outside. Although I don't have any pictures to share, I must say it makes even more of a statement at night, both glowing from within and the exterior lighting call attention to it in a great way.

While traveling in the Netherlands, especially Rotterdam, there is a lot of 'shipping container architecture' as it is the largest port in the region and countless shipping containers pass through each day. Whether it is building that use shipping containers themselves, architecture that take the materials and manipulates them in the creation of new forms, or architecture that is inspired by shipping containers for their modular, portable or stackable qualities, there are countless examples in the region.

This first example is a small restaurant near the Shipping and Transport College aka the periscope building in Rotterdam. I don't know the architect, but its a good example of a small project that utilizes the containers themselves.

MVRDV's silodam project (below) is a stacking of blocks of different uses with a variation of color, material, and openings in each stacked block as an interpretation of the surrounding harbor while they're proposal for a container city takes or more literal approach and pushed the concept.

Lastly, an interesting solution on university housing shortage in the Netherlands, this modular system conceptually pulls from the shipping container, unlike the trailer parks you may find in campuses in the US. The first couple photos are from Delft and the last couple from Utrecht.

Comment by Himadri Mayank on March 20, 2009 at 12:55am

There was a design competition held a couple of years back - LIVING BOX.
http://www.edilportale.com/livingbox/eng/livingbox.htm

I was working on a prototypical design entry for the competition, which I did not send. An year later, I used the idea of living boxes for a B Plan Competition to float a company which would provide temporary shelter to people in situations of calamities (wars, earthquakes, tsunami....). The economics was a little expensive for India. Did not work out.

However, I still feel, it is a great prefab unit with interesting implications on and applications in architecture.