pico colectivo stacks shipping containers to make cultural center in venezuela

pico colectivo has transformed an existing vandalized building in guácara, venezuela, to create the ‘cultural production zone’. the project addresses the need for collective community spaces as a result of huge gaps and precarious structures commonly found in the city center. by repurposing shipping containers, the design creates a variety of functions including: urban garden, cafeteria, image and audiovisual laboratory, recording studio and music room, gallery, multipurpose workshop, skate plaza, sports court and a stage for presentations.

all images courtesy of pico colectivo

the scheme by the architect uses an existing building that was previously left to ruin after street protests. the ‘cultural production zone’ initiative transforms the vandalized space with a series of initiatives driven by groups of artists and local communities. the project gained support from a state financing program that provides technical equipment and cultural tools. the design uses shipping containers to accommodate the spaces and stacks them to create multiple structures into a single, more complex system.

components of the cultural production zone project

by using a substructure supported by the previous foundations, the separate containers are assembled on top of one another to build a whole. color and greenery have been used throughout to make an inviting and welcoming environment for the community. the intervention by pico colectivo brings together cultural units to create a center of urban creation and experimental economies, based on the transformation of an existing vandalized construction.

the cultural production zone building

a look at the existing, vandalized building

the shipping containers being manoeuvred into place

containers are stacked on the existing building

view from the street

a birds-eye view of the containers complex

the landscape of containers

a view under construction from the telephone tower

view of the external staircase

the completed cultural production zone

project info:

project name: ‘cultural production zone’

location: guácara, venezuela

architects: pico colectivo

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom