Shipping containers aren't always a good fit for architecture projects, but with stackt, by LGA Architectural Partners, their use actually makes a lot of sense. The Toronto market's container-based modular design means it can be dismantled and moved with relative ease when needed.
The project is located on a 2.4-acre (0.9-hectare) site in Toronto's Bathurst and Front Streets area that's slated to be turned into a park sometime in the future. Therefore, the market needed to be designed with this in mind, and LGA Architectural Partners worked closely with city planners to ensure it got the thumbs-up.
"The concept was born from the idea of leasing and activating a dormant City of Toronto-owned property at Bathurst and Front Streets while the City prepares for its future use as a public park," explains LGA Architectural Partners. "Shipping containers pay homage to the industrial nature of the site, while creating a retail setting with a unique personality. They also mean that stackt’s physical structure can be picked up and deployed elsewhere – even in a different configuration – at a future date."
The project is constructed from a total of 120 shipping containers, which are painted a uniform black, with some decorated with graffiti and other art. The containers have been heavily modified to add doors, windows, power, and water connections, in addition to ensuring disabled access. They are arranged to create multiple courtyards and pedestrianized areas.
The interiors of the containers offer both single and double-height spaces of different sizes and there's a brewery, small businesses, startups, and both indoor and outdoor event spaces operating on the premises. The project was completed earlier this year.
Source: LGA Architectural Partners