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 28, 2014
Reconstruction market benefits from improving economy, new technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Following years of fairly lackluster demand for commercial property remodeling, reconstruction revenue is improving, according to the 2014 Giants 300 report.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Structure Tone, Turner, and Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Jacobs, URS, and Wiss, Janney, Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 28, 2014
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HDR, and HOK top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 23, 2014
Tallest skyscraper in South Korea now open
The Northeast Asia Trade Tower stands at 308 meters and is the focal point of the Songdo International Business District, a new 310-hectare city built on reclaimed land.
| Jul 23, 2014
Architecture Billings Index up nearly a point in June
AIA reported the June ABI score was 53.5, up from a mark of 52.6 in May.
| Jul 21, 2014
Economists ponder uneven recovery, weigh benefits of big infrastructure [2014 Giants 300 Report]
According to expert forecasters, multifamily projects, the Panama Canal expansion, and the petroleum industry’s “shale gale” could be saving graces for commercial AEC firms seeking growth opportunities in an economy that’s provided its share of recent disappointments.
| 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.
