A block of apartments has been fashioned from 140 shipping containers, looking like a scene from a Steven Spielberg sci-fi movie, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The New York design studio, Lot-ek, say it is a 'response to the post-apartheid generation's desire to repopulate the city's downtown through new models of urban living.'
The containers are reminiscent of the 'stacks' in Spielberg's film Ready Player One.
The movie, set in a futuristic Columbus, Ohio, features containers stacked up in the slum area of the city.
The orphaned teenage protagonist, Wade Watts played by Tye Sheridan, dreams of winning a virtual reality gaming contest so he can leave his container home.
The shabby-chic containers in Johannesburg feature the same stacked up effect, as well as the outboard railings and steelworks like the 'stacks.'
They feature diagonal cuts which makes space for windows, partitions within apartments and balconies.
Lot-ek explain: 'Embracing the triangular geometry of the site, the building is conceived as a billboard where two separate volumes of residential units are hinged at the narrow east end of the lot, framing the social space of the open interior courtyard.
'As in a billboard, the building's outer facades are straight and flush with the lot line while the facades in the inner courtyard are articulated by the staircases, the elevator tower and the bridges connecting all levels, and by the open circulation paths activated by the units spillover onto their outdoor space.'
The block is found in Maboneng, an area which has recently been rejuvenated by urban redevelopment.
The builders say their innovation can contribute to the area's reactivation and re-imagining.
They were stacked and cut on sight, and buyers will be able to have the outsides painted in a colour of their choosing.
The block surrounds a courtyard with a pool and garden area for residents, as well as shops.
The use of shipping containers in design has become popular recently and an individual used shipping container can be bought for £1,500.
A container can be fitted as an apartment for £20,000 to £30,000.
Its surge in popularity can no doubt be put down to the market's demand for up-scaling, which rather than building from scratch, allows for builders to lower their carbon footprint.
In south London, Brixton's 'Pop' is a similar project which uses shipping containers as bars and restaurants.
The container block, known as Drivelines Studios, are stacked on six levels and vary from 300 sq ft to 600 sq ft.
The New York design studio, Lot-ek, say it is a 'response to the post-apartheid generation's desire to repopulate the city's downtown through new models of urban living.'
The containers are reminiscent of the 'stacks' in Spielberg's film Ready Player One.
The movie, set in a futuristic Columbus, Ohio, features containers stacked up in the slum area of the city.
The orphaned teenage protagonist, Wade Watts played by Tye Sheridan, dreams of winning a virtual reality gaming contest so he can leave his container home.
The shabby-chic containers in Johannesburg feature the same stacked up effect, as well as the outboard railings and steelworks like the 'stacks.'
They feature diagonal cuts which makes space for windows, partitions within apartments and balconies.
Lot-ek explain: 'Embracing the triangular geometry of the site, the building is conceived as a billboard where two separate volumes of residential units are hinged at the narrow east end of the lot, framing the social space of the open interior courtyard.
'As in a billboard, the building's outer facades are straight and flush with the lot line while the facades in the inner courtyard are articulated by the staircases, the elevator tower and the bridges connecting all levels, and by the open circulation paths activated by the units spillover onto their outdoor space.'
The block is found in Maboneng, an area which has recently been rejuvenated by urban redevelopment.
The builders say their innovation can contribute to the area's reactivation and re-imagining.
They were stacked and cut on sight, and buyers will be able to have the outsides painted in a colour of their choosing.
The block surrounds a courtyard with a pool and garden area for residents, as well as shops.
The use of shipping containers in design has become popular recently and an individual used shipping container can be bought for £1,500.
A container can be fitted as an apartment for £20,000 to £30,000.
Its surge in popularity can no doubt be put down to the market's demand for up-scaling, which rather than building from scratch, allows for builders to lower their carbon footprint.
In south London, Brixton's 'Pop' is a similar project which uses shipping containers as bars and restaurants.
The container block, known as Drivelines Studios, are stacked on six levels and vary from 300 sq ft to 600 sq ft.
Music: "Groove Grove" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Source: Daily Mail, Lot-Ek
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