Atelier-r uses two shipping containers to create Czech Republic lookout tower
Architecture studio Atelier-r has completed Lookout Above Litomyšl, a viewing tower in the Czech Republic constructed from two long, narrow shipping containers.
Standing on the northwestern outskirts of the town of Litomyšl, the structure is composed of one container laid on its side to create a viewing deck and another placed vertically as a tower.
Lookout Above Litomyšl forms part of the town's Destinations of Journeys project, which has involved the commission of several structures aimed at encouraging locals and tourists to explore the area's countryside.
Given the option of six possible sites, Atelier-r opted for a plot off a hiking trail that offered views of both the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Litomyšl Castle and the town centre, including the town hall, which the studio has been working to restore.
Atelier-r constructed the viewpoint from the two repurposed shipping containers due to both a tight budget and the requirement that any built element could be reversible.
"We were given free hand in choosing the settings from six proposed locations," chief architect Miroslav Pospíšil told Dezeen.
"We were driven to design an iconic object that would act as a visual beacon, drawing people towards it," Pospíšil continued.
"The investor's brief gradually evolved into a creative process: to conceive a sculptural object with an engaging function, to offer a new perspective on the city centre with minimal investment costs, and to remain respectful of the environment," he added.
To support and brace the shipping containers, they were reinforced with a steel structure, which also allowed for the creation of a staircase inside the vertical tower. Both were then placed on reinforced concrete foundations.
Due to the site's topography, the horizontal container angles slightly upwards to create what the studio calls a "sense of levitation" at one end, where a deep metal-framed reveal screened with metal mesh points towards the town.
Celebrating the incongruity of these shipping containers in the otherwise green landscape, the studio left their grey weathering-steel surfaces uncleaned and untreated, still bearing the logo of German coffee chain Tchibo.
"To preserve authenticity, the containers were left in their original surface finish," said Pospíšil. "They were not specially cleaned or painted. Coatings were applied only to the newly added reinforcing structures," he continued.
"Should the lookout one day cease to attract the city's residents, though we firmly believe it will not, the structure can be easily dismantled, and the containers recycled for future use."
Extending from the top of the viewing tower is an artwork entitled Mikado by sculptor Jan Dostál. Made from slender metal rods, it not only declares the lookout's presence from afar but also acts as a lightning conductor to protect the structure.
Other projects that have recently made use of repurposed shipping containers include the Down in the Clouds Pavilions in China, which are combined with giant inflatables, and a floating sauna in California.
The photography is by Boysplaynice.
The post Atelier-r uses two shipping containers to create Czech Republic lookout tower appeared first on Dezeen.
