Detroit – Shanghai Metal Corporation

The most shipping container structures consist of only one container. These kind of structures make good micro-homes, offices or pop-up stores. Still, it is more common to build bigger container constructions. What might be the maximum amount of containers one could use for a single building? These examples will lead to the answer.

Detroit’s The Power of Green Housing Development will upcycle 93 shipping containers to build the multi-family home complex shown in the picture above. This four-floor house of flats will have 20 residences of one to three bedroom solutions. The residents will also have their own protected parking garage. Its tankless water heating system and ventilation will guarantee low energy costs. (via Inhabitat)

This shipping container complex will have an area of 270,000 sq ft for shipping containers which refers to approximately 700 shipping containers. New York’s SuperPier is US$200 million project that will include a restaurant and a retail complex with bathhouses, sky parks, performance spaces, a rock climbing gym and a garden. The complex will be built to upgrade the existing installation and will be opened during summer 2015. (via Inhabitat)

The complex that New York-based architecture firm LOT-EK is designing in Taiwan, will consist of 1,620 shipping containers. Recycled containers will be the main material for Taichung city’s Cultural Center that will hold art shows and screen films among many other cultural activities. The complex will be built to be eco-friendly by integrating a rainwater reuse system and energy-efficient ventilation/insulation system. (via Inhabitat)

So how large can shipping container complexes become? Well, containers are designed to hold heavy loads of weight on their four corner pillars that allow the piling of several containers. Building tall container towers is limited only by the properties of forklifts and cranes. Because containers are made of a simple steel structure that allows simple operations of cutting and welding, the width of complexes is also not limited.

Actually, some shipping container constructions are built to be expanded as necessary. For instance a container bungalow in Spain shows this example. Therefore, at least in theory, there seems to be no limits for the size of shipping container complexes.

No matter how big the world’s shipping container complexes will grow in the future, Shanghai Metal Corporation will keep on providing prefabricated shipping container construction and shipping containers internationally. If your business is need of them, please contact us with this form. Please also follow us on these social media platforms.