Shipping containers already fill the world. Commodities and products of all kinds are shipped back and forth from business to customer and from nation to nation. But shipping containers aren’t really good for anything else other than shipping, right? The Pitch stands otherwise.
Using shipping containers, Mark Odom Studio designed an amazing space fit for offices, retail, food and hospitality. Of course, there’s also plenty of space for Austin FC soccer fans thanks to the literal pitch area of the project.
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According to Mark Odom, founder of Mark Odom Studio, “We have previously studied the use of containers for commercial, retail and multi-family designs all of which were un-built. We feel that The Pitch is the first project of its kind in Austin and the region.”
A total of 23 repurposed shipping containers created this unique space. That includes containers of two sizes, eight by 20 and eight by 40 feet. The containers are stacked, creating two stories, and gathered together in five different business pods. Each one is stacked differently and each has custom detailing.
The containers on the ground level are designated for food and beverage. On the second level, the containers can be used as viewing decks, gathering spaces, office spaces and private party rooms to allow for watching Austin FC soccer games. There are restrooms and electrical rooms on the ground level.
The different levels are connected through custom staircases, overhead trellises and vertical tube steel railings. On each end, there are three 40-feet containers that can be seen from a distance to serve as visual markers for The Pitch. There’s also a huge timber pavilion that has custom steel apertures.
The end result of this project speaks for itself. The Pitch is an incredible multipurpose space that shows the power of recycling and innovative design ideas.
Photography by Casey Dunn
Written by KC Morgan
