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Shipping container towers devised to re-house residents of Mumbai slum

CRG Architects has designed a colourful skyscraper made from recycled shipping containers to provide temporary housing for slum dwellers in the Indian city of Mumbai.

The firm, which has offices in China and Nigeria, proposed the "Containerscrapers" as temporary housing for local residents while their substandard housing is redeveloped.

The concept, which was entered in a competition to devise innovative low-cost accommodation for the city’s Dharavi slum, envisages constructing two cylindrical towers from 2,500 containers, one measuring 200m and the other 400m.

The structures could accommodate up to 5,000 people.

Carlos Gomez, the founder of CNG, said: "Cities are facing unprecedented demographic, environmental, economic, social and spatial challenges. There has been a phenomenal shift towards urbanisation, with six out of every 10 people in the world expected to reside in urban areas by 2030.

"In the absence of effective urban planning, the consequences of this rapid urbanisation will be dramatic. In many places around the world, the effects can already be felt."

According to CNG Architects, one shipping container is large enough to house a studio flat, and three could provide a three-bedroom residence.

Empty containers can be used to improve ventilation or provide space for vertical gardens, medical services or entertainment areas.

The units in the towers are colour-coded, with the red containers facing south, representing the hotter part of the building and blue containers facing north the colder.

The design came third in the competition. CRG Architects is currently in talks to replicate the building in another city.

Image rendering by EAFIE

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Comments

  1. Absolutely amazing

  2. We all know the nightmares associated with high rise blocks! Over many years?
    its Ok on paper all rosy. Try living in one with kids, furniture etc. noise, the list is
    endless ! Lets look at it in ten years? remember this idea of temp living was tried after WW2. Some of these buildings are around today causing all kinds of health issues.
    Would have been much better to give these people a village to live and grow vegetables, food. Once again all patting each other on the back for something that looks pretty? Did the ask the end users what they would like? Sure its not high rise blocks (even though they are homeless need to be treated with respect and thoughtfulness).

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