Last edited 27 Jun 2017

Container City

See the full Unusual building of the week series here.

Container City™ is a series of shipping container spaces in east London devised by Urban Space Management Ltd. The first was installed at Trinity Buoy Wharf in 2001.

The concept behind the series is the re-use of shipping containers at the end of their life to provide prefabricated steel modules for flexible accommodation and office space. The containers, which are painted in vibrant colours, are usually stacked five high. The modular system reduces construction time drastically and improves sustainability.

The containers can be combined to create a wide variety of building shapes and adapted to suit a variety of needs, and when the land is required for other purposes, they can be reused elsewhere. To date (June 2017), sixteen projects have been completed using the technique, which is best-suited to short and medium-term use.

The fit out of the units is completed off site, and they are craned into place once the site is ready. Craning in the containers can take 1-15 days depending on the size and scale of the project. Together with the final ‘fit out’ of the site, this quick construction process can mean the units are ready for use in only a few weeks.