Our Top 10 Shipping Container Projects 2011-2021
July 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of our very first shipping container sale, and to mark the occasion we asked our hardworking team to tell us about their most memorable shipping container projects from the past decade.
There have been a good many fantastic containers commissioned for our customers over the years – more than we remembered! But after lots of debate and discussion, here are our Top 10 Shipping Container Projects as voted by the Budget Shipping Containers team.
1.Shipping Container BBQ Shelter – Hadrian’s Barn, Northumberland
Back in 2019, our customers Hadrians Barn B&B in Northumberland asked us to covert a shipping container into a BBQ shelter for events. This fantastic outdoor event space was designed by the business owner, Lesley. It features 2 colour paintwork, and the back wall is adorned with a giant map that shows the addresses of all of her Bed and Breakfast guests!
That Christmas they sent us a fantastic customised card showing an alternative nativity scene that they had taken in the shelter! Still one of the most fun and quirkiest projects we have worked on, to date.
This is one of our faves as it was a very simple project that worked very well for the site, and the customer was a real pleasure to work with.
2.Shipping Container Acoustic Barrier – Tottenham Hotspur
In 2017, during the demolition of their White Hart Lane stadium, Tottenham Hotspur FC contacted us to request just over 30 x 40ft used shipping containers. These containers were used to create a huge 560 ft long x 25ft high acoustic sound barrier that would shield their neighbours from the dust and noise created by the demolition of the South Stand.
The containers were stacked along the edge of the site to protect the residents across the road from being affected by the noise pollution from the site. Each container in the bottom row of the barrier was filled with around 12 tonnes of ballast to weigh down the wall. The containers were linked together using our heavy duty interlocks to ensure they stayed in place throughout.
An exciting solution to a tricky problem that we were proud to assist with! Below is a very cool video showing the installation of the wall.
Acoustic defences made from shipping containers are becoming increasingly popular now the ‘word is out’ amongst the construction industry that this is a cost-effective solution for protecting nearby residents from noise from a site, and we have some more interesting wall projects in the pipeline!
3.Floating Container Billboard – Under Armour
Although shipping containers are generally found out on the water, this is usually because they are transporting cargo across the world’s shipping routes. Thankfully it is highly unusual to spot shipping containers floating along the River Thames through London! Therefore, we were surprised – and very excited – to find that 8 of our very own 20ft used shipping containers had been secured by stage design specialists Knight Rigging Services and turned into a giant floating advertising billboard for Under Armour!
Still one of the most interesting and unusual uses for a shipping container that we have come across!
4.Shipping Container Cheese Toastie Shack
Shipping container food kiosks are a growing trend and we love to see how clever small business owners can customise a fairly un-exciting steel box into quirky new business premises! One example of this which still stands out in our minds is the Cheese Toastie kiosk that we created for Toastie_Toastie!
Our customer Archie requested a 20ft shipping container painted black, fitted with an upwards opening piston operated service hatch – and that is what we delivered!
This was a very memorable order for us because the end result was so distinctive! And we always love to see an old 20ft shipping container being repurposed to give it a new lease of life. It was a very basic (and inexpensive) conversion job that helped to start a business on a sensible budget.
5.Shipping Container Catering Pod – Studley High School
Working closely with local businesses is something we love to do so when we got talking to Studley High School via a local business networking event, we were very excited to be asked to help them with a very special new project – a 20ft shipping container catering pod to help them feed their hungry students!
After various discussions around their project brief, we decided upon a high cube 20ft one trip shipping container. Using a high cube container provided extra working space and gave us enough space to mount a roller shutter service hatch inside the container. It was finished with a very tidy timber-clad exterior to help it blend nicely into the school grounds, and kitted out inside to meet catering unit specifications.
We extended the local business connection further by enlisting the expert haulage services of Studley based Allelys Group, who ensured the container was placed safely and perfectly into position on the school grounds. A job well done that we are very proud to have been involved with.
These catering pods are proving very popular in a post-Covid marketplace and we expect to see a lot more of these around the UK in the coming years.
6.Container Bar for Motion Nightclub, Bristol
Partying outdoors has become the norm over the past few years, but our customers Motion Nightclub in Bristol bucked the trend a while ago when they approached us for help creating their outdoor bar area using a selection of 40ft and 30ft shipping containers.
The containers were used to create an outdoor square with space to party in the centre, and a series of bars and food kiosks around the outside. The containers were painted black and fitted with serving hatches and roller shutters for service. As you can see from the attached image, the result looks very cool!
7.Shipping Container Bars for DEPOT Cardiff
Another fantastic project for the leisure and entertainment world that we were excited to be involved with was for DEPOT Cardiff. In 2019 we supplied them with a range of shipping containers with basic preparation works carried out which their team then converted into bars, storage units and toilets.
The overall result (as you can see from this image) is a very cool urban entertainment venue – definitely one to check out next time you are in Cardiff!
Both the Motion Nightclub and DEPOT Cardiff examples show that shipping containers are a great way to develop and install a sizeable event space at a very cost-effective price.
8.30ft Custom Shipping Container for DJ Tour
30ft Shipping Containers are often a rare find these days, so when you are asked to supply one for a top DJ to take on tour, the only answer is to make a customised one instead!
We supplied a very unique hot pink shipping container for DJ Patrick Topping ahead of his tour in 2019. We cut a new 40ft shipping container down to a 30ft size, removed the extra 10ft section, and welded it back together again before painting it bright pink. Obviously, the process took a lot more time and skill than our brief explanation above – you can read about the whole step by step process here.
Honestly, we are still stumped why one of the UK’s up-and-coming artists needed a pink 30ft shipping container, but we love it nonetheless!
9.Shipping Containers for the Champions League Final
There’s nothing like a huge sporting event to get everyone excited- and they are also a great opportunity for some clever PR campaigns! In 2017 we supplied two shipping containers for two different customers for the UEFA Champions League Final in Cardiff.
The first was a new 20ft shipping container with one side cut out and painted white which was transformed into an interactive exhibition stand for Nissan.
The second was another 20ft one trip container that was painted black and transformed into an information kiosk for visiting fans!
10.Container Kiosk & Cafe for Paintball Fields
Paintball venues are outdoor businesses where secure storage is essential. Often situated in more open, rural areas, paintball centres require somewhere to store their extensive range of equipment, that will fit in with their surroundings – the solution? A shipping container of course!
We were pleased to supply a customised 32ft shipping container (cut down to size) to Top Dog Paintball in Norwich. This clever container was fitted with 2 separate serving hatches – one for dispensing kit, and the other to be used as a cafe service area. We kitted it out with additional security measures such as deadbolts on the hatches and high-security personnel doors, before finishing it off with a gold-painted exterior as requested by our customer.
A very smart and functional solution for this business, which was extremely cost-effective too! Combining everything we love about shipping containers! We have since made similar units for other customers including a larger 40ft version.
So that is our round-up of our 10 favourite shipping container projects taken from a decade of container projects for Budget Shipping Containers. If you think we have missed one out, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! And as always, if there is a shipping container project that you need help with, we would be very pleased to assist!
Budgetshippingcontainers.co.uk offer the UK’s largest online range of shipping containers for sale with a nationwide network of storage and conversion yards and crane equipped delivery vehicles.
If you need a shipping container feel free to browse our online range of shipping containers for sale. You can also call us on freephone 0808 1234 215 any time 9am – 5pm weekdays and our team will be happy to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, you can use our online shipping container quote form or request a telephone callback. In both cases we aim to get back to you within 1-2 working hours (may take longer for more detailed quotes).