5 innovative uses for repurposed shipping containers 

There is no limit to the potential use of a repurposed shipping container. The modular nature of containers means they are a brilliant starting block for any project and can be adapted to meet a multitude of requirements. With innovative design and precision engineering, the most can be made of every inch of available space. There is no limit on the scale for a project either, containers can be combined to create as much space as required. With twenty-foot, thirty-foot and forty-foot containers available the only question is what will you use the space for? 

See five of our favourite container conversion projects below.  

1. Eis Haus Bar

Eis Haus is the world’s first container ice bar and lounge. Visitors to the ice bar are provided with insulated coats and can enjoy a drink in a chilled ice glass surrounded by clear ice sculptures. The container can sustain temperatures as low as -3° and can house over ten tonnes of purified crystal-clear ice that makes up the entire bar and lounge. The bar also has an outdoor alpine bar and deck area fitted with heaters to provide additional seating. 

Eis Haus was launched at The Telegraph’s Ski and Snowboard Show in London and has been booked for several high-profile events, such as the Tower of London Ice Rink. The innovative design of the container ensures that the space can be adapted for a range of settings to suit any future event requirements. 

Working with Eis Haus, ISO Spaces designed and engineered this unique container bar experience, see the full ice bar case study here.  

2. Boxpark  

Boxpark in Shoreditch is a unique mall venue built entirely from shipping containers. Boxpark started off as a pop-up mall but its popularity earned it a permanent spot as a foodie hangout. Built from sixty-one repurposed shipping containers Boxpark offers food and drink, as well as a venue for live events, providing the local community with a thriving creative hub. 

The success in Shoreditch fuelled a further ninety-six container development in Croydon and Wembley, with more Boxpark developments in the pipeline across the UK. ISO spaces were pleased to have supplied one of the original containers at Shoreditch Boxpark.

3. The Yays Crane Apartment 

A disused Figee crane in Amsterdam’s Eastern Docklands has been repurposed into a boutique apartment overlooking the IJ river. The refurbished crane uses three stacked shipping containers housed within the crane’s framework to accommodate forty square meters of luxury living space split across three levels.  

The bottom level has a compact living room, kitchen and dining area. The middle level accommodates a bedroom and bathroom, including a freestanding bath and shower. The top-level is home to a second bedroom boasting panoramic views of the river and surrounding area.  

The contemporary interior of the apartment has an industrial aesthetic to reflect the docklands heritage, with features including Critall-style windows, exposed steel, and rustic wooden flooring. This imaginative use of containers shows their versatility to create space in unconventional places. 

4. Urban Rigger Floating Student Accommodation  

The Urban Rigger project in Copenhagen uses repurposed shipping containers to provide self-contained student apartments. What makes this project unique, is that the containers are fixed to a floating base and docked at Copenhagen harbour, making use of unutilised space. 

Nine shipping containers have been stacked and joined to create fifteen contemporary studio apartments split over two levels. The containers are enclosed with glazing and there is a small central garden area that provides bike storage. All the available space of the containers has been utilised including the flat roofs. One roof provides a communal decked terrace area, another hosts solar panels and the remaining roof is covered in grass. 

This is an innovative way of providing additional accommodation in the centre of Copenhagen and keeps close ties to the shipping containers’ marine heritage. 

5. Applebee’s Fish Pop-Up Restaurant  

Applebee’s have created a modern pop-up fish and chip restaurant and bar at Hungerford Bridge on London’s South Bank. The upmarket fish and chip shop brand have three converted shipping containers to operate as a bar, kitchen and storage space for their permanently portable restaurant. 

The containers have a very appealing aesthetic with pendant lighting, wooden cladding and a featured rope pergola that complements the riverside location. In addition to the containers, there is a seating area and central bar where customers can enjoy fish and chips, oysters and Champagne, seafood plates and English craft beers.

ISO Spaces were commissioned by Applebee’s to design and construct this permanently portable container solution which allows the business flexibility on location. You can see the full case study here.  

Do you have an idea for a container conversion? 
Get in touch with us to talk through your vision