Shipping Container Church Buildings

From mobile yoga studios to woodworking workshops, people have come up with a wide variety of innovative uses for converted shipping containers. Repurposing a shipping container isn’t just a smart move in terms of affordability, but also because you’re recycling and giving new life to something that might otherwise rust and decay.

One innovative use for repurposed shipping containers is the construction of a shipping container church building. Here’s how some creative church congregations have transformed these simple metal boxes into stunning works of art.

East L.A. Four Square Church Parsonage

One award-winning church container building is the East L.A. Four Square Church Parsonage. Designed by Peter DeMaria, AIA, the church features an interesting hybrid traditional stick frame construction combined with seven recycled cargo containers that form a stable structure for the building.

The excellence in design and adaptive reuse was recognized with an award from the South Bay/Long Beach Chapter of the AIA and also functions as a teen center, offices and even an event space. One major reason DeMaria chooses shipping containers for his buildings is their durability: they’re fireproof, mold resistant, strong and even affordable.

The Falkland Islands’ Airfield Chapel

The Airfield Chapel on the Falkland Islands has been in existence in various forms since 1982. Starting as a military canvas tent and later converted into a military shipping container, faithful attendees appreciated the container’s sturdy shelter and protection from the elements. The container has been modified to include typical conveniences like insulation, heating and double-glazed windows. There’s even an altar crafted from the removed pieces of the container. The chapel was eventually moved to the Royal Air Force Museum in London in 1986, where it remains today.

The Chilean Chapel of Santa Maria Reina de la Paz

This chapel, located in frigid Chilean Antarctica, was built from shipping containers that can truly withstand the elements. It’s a unique church container building that’s located in an area with the largest civilian population in Antarctica. In order to keep the church from moving during frequent snow drifts, the entire structure rests on large blocks to allow the snow and wind to pass below. Many interesting modifications characterize the church, including unique windows, doors and conveniences like heating and insulation.

The Christchurch Cathedral

Designed by world-renowned firm Shigeru Ban Architects and completed in 2013, the Christchurch Cathedral is a testament to some of the amazing designs that can be made with repurposed cargo containers as well as other innovative and unexpected materials, including a roof supported by paper tubing. Four 20-foot-long shipping containers form the structure, while the paper tubing rafters support an impressively high roof.

A shipping container church building is just one option when it comes to adapting abundantly available shipping containers. These simple steel structures can truly become building blocks for a sustainable future—and one with plenty of interesting architectural possibilities. Contact A Mobile Box to discover how you can convert a shipping container into a beautiful space of your own. From churches to office spaces and even residences, the opportunities are endless!

Categorised in: Shipping Containers

This post was written by Writer