Architecture

Shipping container-based art gallery is made to be moved

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MOT, by Balbek Bureau, consists of 27 shipping containers and is designed to be easily relocated
Andriy Bezuglov
MOT, by Balbek Bureau, consists of 27 shipping containers and is designed to be easily relocated
Andriy Bezuglov
MOT was constructed using 27 shipping containers
Andriy Bezuglov
MOT has been designed to be easy to dismantle and transport
Andriy Bezuglov
MOT is being used to host works by 28 artists from 10 different countries
Andriy Bezuglov
MOT measures 417 sq m (roughly 4,490 sq ft), spread over two floors
Andriy Bezuglov
The containers used to create MOT have been heavily modified and have windows added, ensuring there is ample natural light inside
Andriy Bezuglov
All proceeds from MOT go toward the restoration of art institutions in Ukraine damaged during the war
Andriy Bezuglov
MOT has a capacity of up to 100 people at a time
Andriy Bezuglov
MOT's interior design incorporates metal beams and sheets from iron and steel works which have been areas of heavy fighting in the war
Andriy Bezuglov
MOT includes smaller and more intimate gallery areas, as well as large open spaces
Andriy Bezuglov
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The MOT (Module of Temporality) offers an interesting take on shipping container-based design. The project cleverly plays to the strengths of the metal boxes by creating a temporary art gallery that can be packed up and moved to a new location when required.

The MOT, by Ukraine's Balbek Bureau, was commissioned by event agency and magazine publisher Don't Take Fake, and is being used to host works by 28 artists from 10 different countries. Since February, it has traveled to Kyiv, Dnipro, and Lutsk, and is currently located in Lviv. All proceeds go toward the restoration of art institutions in Ukraine damaged in the war, a theme that understandably looms heavily throughout the project.

"Inside MOT’s welcome area, the intentionally low ceiling retains a sense of pressure and discomfort, similar to what people feel in shelters during an air raid," explained Balbek Bureau. "The main exhibition area, on the contrary, is a commodious open space. The joints of the container walls were left visible to emphasize the structure's modularity. The primary material is metal in its various forms and textures. To honor the enterprises affected by Russian aggression, the architects featured metal beams and sheets from 'Azovsta' and the llich Iron & Steel Works, both devastated in the battles for Mariupol."

MOT's interior design incorporates metal beams and sheets from iron and steel works which have been areas of heavy fighting in the war
Andriy Bezuglov

Its interior is spacious for a container-based building and measures 417 sq m (roughly 4,490 sq ft), spread over two floors, with a capacity for up to 100 people at a time. Structurally, it consists of 27 shipping containers which were originally manufactured at the Ilyichivsk Ship Repair Plant in Ukraine for another project by Balbek Bureau in 2012 that ended up being shelved.

The containers have been heavily modified to create the open and light-filled main gallery, including a cantilevering section, plus there are smaller and more intimate areas for exhibitions. The studio has added a fiberglass interior and significant insulation to allow it to withstand any cold and rain. A key focus of the project was ensuring that the structure could be transported with relative ease, and it can be dismantled, moved by truck and reassembled elsewhere in Ukraine in under 10 days.

Source: Balbek Bureau

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2 comments
itsKeef
got one of those here in UK...a real hidden gem. search images of: 'container city trinity buoy wharf art collective'
ReservoirPup
A well-implemented great idea!