Occupying 137 to 139 Lower Marsh in London, “Stowaway” is a new five-story, 20-unit aparthotel with a unique twist: it is made entirely from 30-foot shipping containers. An aparthotel (short for apartment hotel, as you may have guessed) is an extended stay location that combines the features of a boutique hotel with the comforts and conveniences of an apartment. Stowaway is a direct response to the demands for more flexible living and working patterns in Central London, providing 20 modular, compact apartments.
The Doone Silver Kerr-designed project stacks five levels of five shipping containers each to fit neatly into its tight site. On the ground floor is a reception area and a restaurant designed to complement the eclectic, collaborative community of Lower Marsh. Twenty containers are spread evenly across the four levels above, housing one room each.
Guest rooms each feature a king-size bed, television, walk-in shower, and a kitchen with a dishwasher, sink, and microwave. In order to maximize the size of the space for each room, the bed area doubles as a lounge space with a cushioned backrest opposite the mounted television. Finishing materials such as timber and marble are used in the detailing throughout each room.
See Also: AS+GG releases design scheme for the South HeXi Yuzui Financial District and Tower
The containers’ skin is conceived as a refined shell using self-finished surfaces and optimized using high-performance materials to achieve maximum internal dimensions. Fins cut diagonally across the top of each shipping container to provide some privacy and solar shading while also changing the aesthetics of the facade depending on which direction you are looking from.
Doone Silver Kerr designed the project for Stow Projects and Ciel Capital.
Related Stories
| Jul 18, 2014
Contractors warm up to new technologies, invent new management schemes [2014 Giants 300 Report]
“UAV.” “LATISTA.” “CMST.” If BD+C Giants 300 contractors have anything to say about it, these new terms may someday be as well known as “BIM” or “LEED.” Here’s a sampling of what Giant GCs and CMs are doing by way of technological and managerial innovation.
| Jul 18, 2014
Top Construction Management Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, Barton Malow, Hill International top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest construction management and project management firms in the United States.
| Jul 18, 2014
Top Contractors [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Turner, Whiting-Turner, Skanska top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest contractors in the United States.
| Jul 18, 2014
Engineering firms look to bolster growth through new services, technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Following solid revenue growth in 2013, the majority of U.S.-based engineering and engineering/architecture firms expect more of the same this year, according to BD+C’s 2014 Giants 300 report.
| Jul 18, 2014
Top Engineering/Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, AECOM, Parsons Brinckerhoff top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest engineering/architecture firms in the United States.
| Jul 18, 2014
Top Engineering Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Fluor, Arup, Day & Zimmermann top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest engineering firms in the United States.
| Jul 18, 2014
Top Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Gensler, Perkins+Will, NBBJ top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest architecture firms in the United States.
| Jul 18, 2014
2014 Giants 300 Report
Building Design+Construction magazine's annual ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S.
| Jul 17, 2014
A new, vibrant waterfront for the capital
Plans to improve Washington D.C.'s Potomac River waterfront by Maine Ave. have been discussed for years. Finally, The Wharf has started its first phase of construction.
| Jul 14, 2014
Meet the bamboo-tent hotel that can grow
Beijing-based design cooperative Penda designed a bamboo hotel that can easily expand vertically or horizontally.
