When it comes to being svelte and stylish, shipping containers are probably way down on your list. Those sharp corners, the rough, corrugated sides, the paint peeling and rusting after years of service travelling all over the world. Let’s be honest, that would take its toll on anyone, being shunted from eastern pillar to western post, carting around just about every product conceivable, from bananas to teddy bears to Xboxes.
But actually, we think that does a disservice to the humble shipping container. It might appear utilitarian at first glance, but there’s one single reason that these boxes have captured the imaginations of dockers, architects, retailers and homeowners across the globe.
Simplicity.
Watch absolutely any episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares – what’s his solution for almost every problem faced by a restaurant? Simplifying every, boiling it down to its essence; whether it’s the décor or the overstuffed menu, the first step is always-always-always to simplify. It’s a lesson learnt the world over. Look at the world’s finest predator, the shark. Unchanged over millions of years because its torpedo-like form and ‘eat, sleep and make little baby sharks’ mentality means simplicity negates evolution: It’s already as perfect as it can be.
The same is true of the timeless style of the shipping container. There’s no building upon the success of the shipping container’s durable, reliable design – even a committee couldn’t better it. It’s at once inflexible yet versatile – it houses things, whether goods, people or anything else that’ll fit in its 20-40ft length. No more, no less.
We’ve discussed, in the past, the many current uses for shipping containers – because why should something so well-designed be strictly limited to the carrying of cargo across the oceans? In the past we’ve discussed their use in pop-up markets and shops, on-site accommodation for events, homes and offices, a canvas for contemporary artists, swimming pools, and even structures like giant periscopes. Even in those professions not generally considered in need of containers, we can see the benefits brought to them by using one – as we discussed here.
It’s how that container is used that defines it.
And that’s what makes the simple, streamlined and successful design a favourite all over the land, and the seas.
Ready to take charge of your shipping containers? Get in contact with us online or call 0208 459 6972 and we’ll be happy to help.
