In numerous stories such as Contained Excitement and Modular Cities we’ve highlighted the re-use and re-purpose of shipping containers turned into modern affordable single-family houses and multi-family communities.

Now architect LOT-EK has borrowed the idea to build a mix-use development to promote the Volvo Ocean Race, a global sailing event. The building uses 24 shipping containers to house a shoe boutique, bar and lounge, and offices.

Interestingly, these particular containers are not re-purposed but were made in China for the occasion. LOT-EK who has done many sustainable type projects and recently made a point of telling the Boston Society of Architects that “there’s more than 25 million containers sort of sitting around in the ports of the Western world because of the imbalance of trade between the east and the west,” doesn’t see not using some of those unused containers for this project as a contradiction because “they’re making use of the modules and logistics of the containerized shipping system and demonstrating the potential of container architecture,” according to Metropolis Mag.

While that may be true I’m not following how they couldn’t do the same with some of those 25 million unused sitting containers. Their actions seem to contradict their overall point.

Hopefully we won’t see house developers building new shipping containers to promote the use of unused containers as homes. Read post in Metropolis Mag.