New London aparthotel is made entirely from shipping containers

Occupying 137 to 139 Lower Marsh in London, “Stowaway” is a new five-story, 20-unit aparthotel with a unique twist: it is made entirely from 30-foot shipping containers. An aparthotel (short for apartment hotel, as you may have guessed) is an extended stay location that combines the features of a boutique hotel with the comforts and conveniences of an apartment. Stowaway is a direct response to the demands for more flexible living and working patterns in Central London, providing 20 modular, compact apartments.

The Doone Silver Kerr-designed project stacks five levels of five shipping containers each to fit neatly into its tight site. On the ground floor is a reception area and a restaurant designed to complement the eclectic, collaborative community of Lower Marsh. Twenty containers are spread evenly across the four levels above, housing one room each. 

Guest rooms each feature a king-size bed, television, walk-in shower, and a kitchen with a dishwasher, sink, and microwave. In order to maximize the size of the space for each room, the bed area doubles as a lounge space with a cushioned backrest opposite the mounted television. Finishing materials such as timber and marble are used in the detailing throughout each room.

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The containers’ skin is conceived as a refined shell using self-finished surfaces and optimized using high-performance materials to achieve maximum internal dimensions. Fins cut diagonally across the top of each shipping container to provide some privacy and solar shading while also changing the aesthetics of the facade depending on which direction you are looking from.

Doone Silver Kerr designed the project for Stow Projects and Ciel Capital.