Walking on the Streets of the City of Containers

A small community of businesses have established a city of shipping container restaurants, bars, stores and living spaces in the barrios of Cholula, only two hours from Mexico City. The city of containers, that is built out of used shipping containers is a great center for shopping and entertainment.

The area of ‘Los Contenadores‘ comprises 50,000 square feet of shipping containers and construction made out of other recyclable material such as bottle caps and plastic tubing. The alleys and streets formed by containers are great places to stroll around and enjoy the local style. There’s also plenty of outdoor space to sit around and hang out and there are events and bands scheduled all the time.

Shipping containers are mostly used to import products from abroad and are very seldom sent back. Thereby taking advantage abandoned and used shipping containers are a great solution for affordable housing. Containers are also an excellent tool for setting up pop-up retail stores, such as in the ‘ciudad de los contenadores‘.

The Container city is designed by Gabriel Esper Caram to combine both elegance and sustainability. The harmony of the container’s bright colors and the city’s live music ensure an unforgettable experience for visitors.

Shipping containers can be used in many circumstances. As the City of Containers goes to show even luxurious stores, restaurants, night clubs, hotels or even homes can be built by using this durable and highly available material. For more information about containers, please visit Shanghai Metal Corporation‘s website or send us an inquiry. Please also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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Tuomas P.// SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Inhabitat, Retail Design Blog, City Lab

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Shakespeare Reborn in Container Theaters

We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot be truly follow’d.                   –Quotation from Shakespeare’s Othello

The modularity of shipping containers enables creative architects to design beautiful container homes and hotels. Open top containers can be turned into swimming pools. Open side containers can become excellent theaters.

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In 2013 a local architecture studio O+A designed the architectural setting of the 20th Over het IJ Festival and transformed Amsterdam’s shipyard into a huge restaurant area with theatrical stages. The building of the “container city” took four days, and another two days to take down, lasting only two weeks in between.

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Shipping containers theaters have also been used in Miami. In 2012, the actors of Microteatro por Dinero  performed in 15 minute short dramas for 15 people six times a night in a shipping container. The concept of “por dinero performance” (in English for money) has its roots in Madrid where local actors turned an old bordello into a commercial mini theater and spread the word in social media.

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Besides drama, shipping containers have also been used as movie theaters. Container mini theaters showed short films in New York in 2011. The event was a part of USA Network’s Character Project and it also was supported by the director of the Alien Saga, Ridley Scott. Audience was placed in 18-seat air conditioned screening pods to watch the shorts. The tour also took place in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

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It is yet unclear when does this “Broadway in a box” concept spread globally and go mainstream. Still, because of these events, mobile mini theaters will gain popularity in cinema and drama industries.

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Whenever there is a need for shipping containers, one should always contact Shanghai Metal Corporation. Our wide collection of shipping containers can help companies to pack great entertainment in a box. For more information about our shipping containers, please visit our website (http://www.smccontainer.com). Please also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Try also our new mobile application by scanning the QR code below.

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Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: WLRN, N-punto, Broadway World, Gizmag, Wired, Miami New Times, Inhabitat, Oplusa.nl