Artist/architect Adam Kalkin has transformed standard shipping containers into living quarters. His Quick House can be used for different circumstances, from disaster-relief housing to luxury dwellings and for promotional purposes. Italian espresso company Illy has used the Quick House at the 52nd Venice Biennale to provide visitors a space to relax and to enjoy their complimentary espresso.
With the push of a button, the Illy house opens in 90 seconds like a flower and transforms from a compact container into a fully furnished and functional space with a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, bedroom, living room and library. All materials used were recyclable or recycled. Between November 28 and December 29, 2007, New York holiday shoppers have a chance to sit down and relax in Kalkin’s creation as Illy will install the temporary Push Button cafe in the Time Warner Centre.
Kalkin’s concept can also be used for luxury dwellings, as pictured above. Seeing this, I wouldn’t mind living a container like that!
(via the coolhunter)
12 responses
Matt Oct 17, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Having unloaded numerous containers full of futons, I really liked seeing one used for something other than shipping heavy stuff
Matt at http://www.goodnightmoonfuton.com
Jeska Oct 17, 2007 at 10:52 pm
lovely to see these containers being used in this way.
I also love the way things are custom built to fit compact spaces. plus all the recycling makes it even better!
Purple Oct 20, 2007 at 4:58 pm
That is so great, I especially like the last image with the containers inside a large warehouse. Great office idea for a mobile company.
Zabimaru May 28, 2008 at 1:13 am
I love the concept of putting unexpected things in standardized containers of different types. It’s just so practical, since there is an extensive industry in place for shipping them.
Google makes shipping containers with a fully fledged server park in them, with a standardized interface, so that they can easily just ship out a server container to where they need it, and there they just have to connect it to power and networking, and it’s set. So much easier than stowing large amounts of computers for shipping, then when they arrive unpack everything, connect it together and so on.
Jenny May 29, 2008 at 5:40 am
Oh wow that’s so cool!
Pelagian May 29, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I want one.
I was poor once and put a board over my bath to use as a dining table then a matress on top for a bed, then reversed the procedure the next morning to take my bath.
Pranav Jun 8, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Wow! Looks great.
They showed something like this on Planet Mechanics too
shroom Jun 9, 2008 at 3:29 pm
in the netherlands, containers are used to house students in the larger cities, where there is a great lack of housing. They build in windows, stack the lot together and you have reasonable luxury for a student. One container contains a small kitchen, a small bathroom and a living/bedroom.
search for “containerwoningen Amsterdam” in google.
paresh Jun 10, 2008 at 6:58 am
good, a new way to bring scrab containers in use.
dddsuuuhngd Jun 19, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I think this is amazing
Andrew Mossberg Jun 23, 2008 at 2:51 am
Isn’t it a little odd for the Illy Cafe to have an exposed toilet (picture 2, center left)?
john Aug 30, 2008 at 9:54 am
this is cool but an electric wire is dangerous since these are all metallics
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