Architecture

Kengo Kuma designs shipping container-based Starbucks

Kengo Kuma designs shipping container-based Starbucks
The Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks consists of 29 shipping containers with a total floorspace of 320 sq m (3,444 sq ft), spread over two floors
The Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks consists of 29 shipping containers with a total floorspace of 320 sq m (3,444 sq ft), spread over two floors
View 5 Images
The Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks is one of 45 shipping container-based Starbucks created around the world to date
1/5
The Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks is one of 45 shipping container-based Starbucks created around the world to date
Starbucks has opened a total of 45 shipping container-based coffee shops around the world to date
2/5
Starbucks has opened a total of 45 shipping container-based coffee shops around the world to date
The Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks has skylights installed to increase natural light inside
3/5
The Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks has skylights installed to increase natural light inside
The interior of Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks wasn't designed by Kengo Kuma
4/5
The interior of Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks wasn't designed by Kengo Kuma
The Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks consists of 29 shipping containers with a total floorspace of 320 sq m (3,444 sq ft), spread over two floors
5/5
The Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks consists of 29 shipping containers with a total floorspace of 320 sq m (3,444 sq ft), spread over two floors
View gallery - 5 images

High-profile Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has turned his considerable talent to shipping container-based architecture for the first time to produce this new Starbucks. The project is located in Taiwan and will function as a drive-thru in a soon to be opened shopping mall.

The Hualien Bay Mall Starbucks consists of 29 shipping containers and has a total floorspace of 320 sq m (3,444 sq ft), spread over two floors. The containers have been reinforced, modified for glazing, and are painted white. The building's interior, which wasn't designed by Kuma, includes a brightly-colored wall mural representing Taiwan's aboriginal Amis people and offers views of a nearby mountain range.

"This is the first time Kuma has used shipping containers for his designs and was inspired by the foliage of coffee trees combined with the traditional Chinese bucket arch," says a press release. "The stacking of the shipping containers created a much taller space and provides natural sunlight through the various skylights found throughout the structure."

Starbucks has opened a total of 45 shipping container-based coffee shops around the world to date
Starbucks has opened a total of 45 shipping container-based coffee shops around the world to date

The project may be Kuma's first foray into container architecture, but it's certainly not the first time for Starbucks. The coffee giant is rather fond of the big metal boxes and has opened a total of 45 shipping container-based coffee shops around the world to date.

Starbucks is keen to promote the sustainability the project, though we've no information on any significant sustainable measures taken beyond the recycling of the used shipping containers – such as whether or not they were properly insulated to mitigate their poor thermal performance, for example.

Source: Starbucks

View gallery - 5 images
2 comments
2 comments
paul314
It looks as if the upper layers are there just for decoration.
fb36
IMHO, shipping-container-based architecture has really big potential for providing low/mid income housing solution, everywhere in the world!
What needs to be done is to create standard/extendable building designs!
Imagine, a standard skeleton building structure that provides empty slots to insert shipping container house units! And it can be used for any number of units; N by M units! (Imagine, if each of those buildings also can be joined together to create any size buildings!)
But, in the meantime, ANY shipping-container-based architectural designs/buildings definitely welcome (at least for me)! (Because any/all would provide invaluable knowledge/experience, for architects/engineers, for creating even better future designs!)
Search Wikipedia for "Shipping Container Architecture"!