As contemporary architecture continues to influence design, more and more the unlikely becomes reality…such as shipping containers becoming an architectural phenomenon. It makes sense: why not make something that is modular, affordable and virtually indestructible into a living space, even if it was used to transport bars of luxury soap from southern Italy to the US? Container architecture’s popularity is growing, and Gestalten’s Container Atlas is there to investigate when it’s used, where it’s used, and why. These structures are far from permanent solutions when it comes to housing, tending to be used more for temporary locales like pop-up stores and exhibits, which allows for the architecture to revolve more around current trends and the impermanence allows more space for the artist. Very rarely would the public be OK with stacked shipping containers as office space, but when it’s a temporary fix and you can call it artistic, let it play. And even though it sounds like a “quick fix”, Container Atlas provides information regarding the historical development of container use in architecture. In addition it documents plans, describes associated costs, and even suggests concrete solutions for common problems — making it a practical reference for architects, planners, and cultural activists. Container Atlas is leftfield architecture and growing in popularity — who knew that living in a shipping container could be so accommodating?