Waste-to-Treasure: Desert Land Transformed into Iran’s Trendiest Container Club

In recent years, South Korea and Taiwan have both seen a wave of container-inspired designs, transforming old, dilapidated containers into multi-use spaces such as restaurants and shops. This container craze originated in Europe and America, and has now spread beyond Southeast Asia to the Middle East, becoming the latest hotspot for Iranians.

Recently, a colorful club made of stacked containers has emerged in the mountainous region of Iran — the Cube Club — which consists of three main parts. The first part is primarily dedicated to dining, featuring coffee, light meals, and a bar, with indoor areas separated by glass doors that open out to an outdoor seating area. Another section serves as office space and entertainment zones, including game tables.

Container structures are generally not well-suited to Iran’s subtropical climate, as they tend to trap heat quickly. However, the design team capitalized on the advantages of the sloped terrain and used lightweight, eco-friendly building materials. By incorporating glass curtains that allow in natural light while shielding against wind and sand, they successfully created this captivating container club.

Image source: Hamidreza Khansari, Zahra Behbahani