Aug 1, 2025
SecondLife 02 | Hive-Inn by OVA studio, Frankfurt
SecondLife is our editorial space where we explore how architecture can give new purpose to shipping containers. From iconic projects around the world to fresh ideas on circular design, we share stories that inspire a more sustainable and elegant future.
Francesca Dipino
Co-Founder
A Radical Approach to Urban Hospitality
Can container architecture reshape how we experience hotels? Hive-Inn Frankfurt, designed by OVA Studio, offers a striking answer. This visionary concept imagines a modular hotel built entirely from shipping containers, stacked and slotted into a structural steel grid.
Modularity as a Core Principle
Each container functions as a fully equipped hotel room, designed to be added, removed, or swapped with ease. This radical flexibility demonstrates how architecture can evolve like a living organism, responding to demand, location, or purpose.
Sustainability Meets Creativity
By reusing shipping containers as building blocks, the project highlights the potential of recycled architecture to reduce waste while introducing new opportunities for adaptive reuse. The modular grid system is not only efficient but also symbolic of a future where urban spaces are more dynamic and sustainable.
A Provocative Vision
While Hive-Inn Frankfurt remains a concept, its design challenges conventional ideas of hospitality. It invites us to imagine cities where buildings are not static but transformable, flexible, and circular.