Shipping Container Conversions • Shipping Container News

Containers For Community Venue In London…

London Shipping Containers – like the rest of the world – has had an unusual 2020. During this time we’ve had the chance to look back on some of our favourite projects over the years. One of which was Viewtube –
View Tube in London is an exciting development of a community venue just outside of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and has been running since 2010.
Much of the community is built up around an impressive structure consisting of a selection of shipping containers housing a cafe, bike rentals and artist studios.
London Shipping Containers was selected as the vender of choice for the sourcing and delivery of these containers and we were proud to partner with the View Tube team to make this project a success. The way the team used containers to create the venue has made it one of our favourite projects. 
If you’re considering shipping containers for a building, roadside cafe, temporary structure or even an entire complex! London Shipping Containers can help with our selection of 10ft, 20ft and 40ft containers plus logistical and operational support.
Shipping Container Conversions • Shipping Container Maintenance • Shipping Container News

Doing Our Bit For The NHS..

London Shipping Containers was proud to be a key part of the supply chain for the NHS during the Coronavirus pandemic. 

We were approached by KRH Contracts to help with the storage of PPE for NHS London and the Nightingale Hospital. 

After an initial consultation London Shipping Containers provided KRH with a 10ft office unit free of charge, we then utilised our years of experience to help with logistical expertise and supply of 2 more 20ft units for the safe, secure storage of PPE. 

This project really helped us show how flexible we are to our customer requirements and how we provide a deeper service than simply supplying containers. 

Contact us to today to discuss your business requirements!

Shipping Container News

Box Park London Container Park

Converting Shipping Containers For Retail Use

Following our look at the proposed shipping container park in Las Vegas, this post takes a look at Shoreditch London. where a successful container mall has been operating for just under two years.

London has been a hot bed of container conversion activity in the past three years. Not only did we get the Viewtube facility in the Olympic park, which we helped create but in 2011 in Shoreditch the ‘Box Park’ arrived, billed as the worlds first shipping container mall. We take a look at the impact of the project in London.

Box Park has taken a slightly different route to other projects and delivered a retail experience focused on brands, delivered to the consumer in a flexible shopping environment.

The focus on brands is different to the Las Vegas project which is centred on showcasing  innovative new local start ups.

What the Box Park offers is a different experience from the standard homogenised Malls that look identical regardless of their location.

The impact has been to provide brands a vehicle for promotional activity and experiential marketing events.  This is reinforced by the ability of the mall to provide pop up shop locations on site.

Recent events include the Puma ‘Worn My Way’ campaign launch, the Mariachi Doritos performing live and Tic Tac setting up a design your own pack shop, all in March 2013.

Commercial shipping container conversion projects have the ability to create diverse and flexible spaces where the retail experience is not fixed. Adding a finite life span to the project also creates an impetus among consumers to make use of the facility.

London Shipping Containers

Shipping Container Maintenance • Shipping Container News

3 Tips to Protect Shipping Containers Against Frost Damage

As winter is now upon us, frost is inevitable and there are steps you need to take to ensure that your shipping containers are protected through the winter.

This is especially true for those who are hiring containers as your source company may well add additional damage charges at the end of the hire agreement.

Just a few simple steps can protect you from unwanted additional costs and your shipping containers from winter / frost damage.

  • Please ensure that heaters are left on a low setting at all times.
  • All water pipes in Kitchen/Canteen units should be insulated against frost and water should be drained and switched off when not in use.
  • It is a good idea to put a small amount of grease or oil on the door locks, padlocks and any other moving part to help stop the mechanism freezing up.

If you find these tips useful, please pass them to your sites carrying our units and continue to enjoy a problem free winter.

If you have specific questions about shipping container maintenance once they are on site and in use feel free to get in touch.

Shipping Container Conversions • Shipping Container News

Shipping Container Conversion News

Great story from the BBC yesterday, a new bar and restaurant is being built from 100 containers. Portishead Marina is located on the Bristol Channel in the south west of the U.K.

The BBC picked up on this commercial shipping container conversion yesterday but there is a full story from the local Bristol Press about the restaurant from a few days earlier.

Really looking forward to seeing the project completed, the plans sound great. So far 28 of the 100 containers are in place.

Shipping Container Conversions • Shipping Container News

The View Tube London Olympic Park

When you are lucky enough to get involved in such an amazing project like View Tube it is hard to say no!

What started out as a simple enquiry into buying some shipping containers turned into a great project when London shipping containers helped to play a pivotal role.

Back in April 2012 we were contacted by Mark Ashworth the project director of the View Tube. The request was simple for two 20ft containers to be painted and adapted to serve as a viewing point over the Olympic park whilst the games were on.

As we have a history of working with conversions of shipping containers it was not a surprise that Mark approached us to quote for the project. However the project was set up as a social enterprise and community venue.

After discussing the initial requirements with Mark it was clear that we could help The view tube grow into something much more. We agreed to take part in the project and quickly put Mark in touch with the engineers we use for container conversion designs.

The original plans grew to be something else, something much larger and more exciting than was first envisaged.

The expanded design includes a Cafe, bike hire facility and a community garden alongside a classroom for an arts education programme.

The View Tube closed shortly after the Games this summer but will reopen in December with a large event where we will be present.

We are very proud to have been part of such an amazing project and to have played a part in helping it grow into something larger and hopefully a sustainable business which benefits the local community.

The View Tube

The Upcycled viewing platform and education centre in the Olympic Park London

The Greenway Marshgate Lane
E15 2PJ,
London

Phone: 020 3130 0469

Shipping Container News

Shipping Containers Lost At Sea Each Year

Right now with anywhere between 5 – 6 million shipping containers in transit across the globe it is sobering to think of what the attrition rate of lost containers is per journey.

Back in 2011 it was reported that close to 10,000 containers are lost in transit each year. While this may seem like a small overall number think about the cargo value of those containers and the scale of the problem comes into focus.

Though transporting vast numbers of containers by sea means dealing with the unpredictability of the elements, so some loss is to be expected.

You can read the full story here