If you heard someone say that shipping containers can become nearly any building imaginable, wait until you actually see what shipping container towers are.
Although it doesn’t seem possible to make towers from shipping containers, they do exist and are usable for certain purposes and situations.
So, what are these towers, and where can we find them in real life? Read more below!
Also Read: Shipping Container Twist Locks: Types and How to Use Them
What are Shipping Container Towers?
Shipping container towers are vertical structures built by stacking standard steel shipping containers on top of each other, often with minimal modification to their original form.
These towers showcase the adaptability and strength of shipping containers, which builders designed once as platforms to deliver cargo across open seas.
Container towers are a striking example of “shipping container architecture,” also known as cargotecture or arkitainer, where containers are the main structural element.
Uniqueness of Container Towers
So, what actually inspires builders to choose shipping containers as the main material to build towers when other, more common materials exist?
It’s their modularity.
Thanks to standardized sizes and strong corner castings, you can stack containers up to 12 units high by using their interlocking mechanisms and twist locks.
This modular approach allows for rapid construction, easy expansion, and creative configurations, making container towers a favorite for both temporary and permanent structures.
The Containers’ General Specifications
Shipping container towers usually use ISO-standard, Corten steel-based containers, most commonly the 20-foot and 40-foot varieties.
Here are the general specs of containers builders can use for building container towers:
- Standard container sizes: 20’ x 8’ x 8.5’ or 40’ x 8’ x 8.5’ (high-cube versions add an extra foot in height)
- Weight per container: ~3,500 kg (7,700 lbs) for a 40-foot container
- Stacking capacity: Up to 12 containers high (when empty and on a stable foundation)
- Structural connections: Twist locks, welding, or bolted steel plates
- Modifications: Windows, doors, insulation, interior stairs, and cladding for aesthetics or weatherproofing
Potential Applications of Shipping Container Towers
Much like when builders convert shipping containers into container homes and offices, these steel boxes can become the following:
Airport Control Tower
Small airports or temporary airfields are some of the likeliest places for builders to set up some container-based airport control towers.
Their modular design allows for quick assembly and easy relocation, making them perfect for expanding airport operations or supporting events like airshows.
Even further, by adding windows, HVAC, and communication systems, a container tower can serve just as fine as a regular airport control tower.
Firewatch Tower
With its durable, weather-resistant, and easily transportable characteristics, container firewatch towers are perfect for forests and industries.
When building or renovating them, you can adjust their height by stacking more containers, and their steel construction withstands harsh environments.
Thanks to their small footprint and ability for faster relocation, container firewatch towers are a practical alternative to traditional wooden or concrete structures.
Contemporary Tourist Destinations
Shipping container towers make for striking tourist attractions with observation decks, art installations, or even rooftop cafes.
These towers can be placed in urban centers, parks, or waterfronts, offering visitors panoramic views and unique experiences.
Furthermore, their flexibility also allows for creative uses, such as climbing walls, exhibition spaces, or event venues.
Real-life Examples
Although shipping container towers may look strange and impractical to the point that no one’s building them, these examples can prove how wrong these assumptions are:
Freitag Tower in Zurich
The Freitag Tower in Zurich, Switzerland, is perhaps the world’s most famous shipping container tower.
Completed in 2006, it stands as the tallest shipping container structure globally and serves as the flagship store for the Freitag brand, known for its recycled truck tarp bags.
When building the tower, builders used 17 converted shipping containers that make up the tower’s design.
The bottom two floors are four containers wide, the next two floors are two containers wide, and the remaining five stories are single containers with vertical stacking.
This unique configuration creates a tapering effect, which gives the tower a dynamic silhouette.
When visitors go inside the tower, they can climb an interior staircase to reach the rooftop observation deck, which offers sweeping views of Zurich.
If they go deeper inside the tower, visitors can find that the containers themselves house retail space, storage, and offices.
Lotto Turm Shipping Container Skyscraper in Stuttgart
The Lotto Turm in Stuttgart, Germany, is an ambitious architectural project by Lars Behrendt.
While it’s still in the design phase, it will consist of 55 stacked shipping containers to create a striking skyscraper when finished.
Based on the project’s details, Lotto Turm is designed for an unused site and aims to serve as a vertical landmark and urban intervention.
The tower’s design includes a noise-free courtyard and flexible spaces within the stacked containers.
All in all, this project shows the potential for using shipping containers not only for low-rise buildings but also for high-rise urban projects.
Container Parking Booth Tower in Ohio
In Columbus, Ohio, the Container Parking Booth Tower by Jonathan Barnes Architecture and Design (JBAD) is a creative example of micro-architecture using shipping containers.
The project repurposes a single shipping container, turning it upright to form a 40-foot-tall red tower that serves as a parking attendant booth.
Meanwhile, the tower’s bottom floor is designed for the attendant, with windows overlooking the parking lot, while the upper floors remain flexible for other uses, such as bike storage, food or coffee takeout, or even additional services.
The structure glows bright red at night, acting as a beacon and adding a modern touch to the city’s skyline.
Furthermore, the booth’s polycarbonate lift-and-fold garage door doubles as a shading canopy, and the design cleverly maximizes the small footprint of the site.
Also Read: Conex Box Office FAQs – Essentials and Important Info
Conclusion
With their existing examples and potential applications, shipping container towers may be the infrastructures you need for certain situations. If you need containers that you can convert into towers, contact Tradecorp today! By designing their containers to be high-grade and heavy-duty, these containers are the perfect tool for any industrial need.
