Container City
Topic: Architecture / Travel

In the docklands of east London are some architectural suprises.


Across the Thames, near the River Lea, is a complex that harks back to the site's industrial past in a more creative way than the repetitive high-rise condos. Devised by Urban Space Management, Container City is literally just that, a mixed use complex built entirely from corrugated steel shipping containers fitted with spray on insulation and inhabited by various artists' studios, workshops, and small offices (zoning restrictions prohibit straight residential use).

Bright colors and unexpected angles make it more interesting than it might be. Intelligent re-use is found in less obvious manners as well: the newest block is built over a rain collection reservoir that pumps water up through the building for services like toilet-flushing. The site is also home to a lighthouse designed in 1863 for Michael Faraday, who used it in his experiments with optics and light projection.

Millenium Dome
Container City
Housing Prototypes: Container City
Posted by thenovakids
at 12:40 AM CST
Updated: Monday, 29 May 2006 11:53 PM CDT
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Updated: Monday, 29 May 2006 11:53 PM CDT
Post Comment | Permalink | Share This Post