Emaar Cafe Downtown

Given Dubai’s rising mercury, it’s perfectly understandable that residents are reluctant to step out much. But, if you do plan on taking a quick nighttime stroll down the Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard in Downtown Dubai for a cuppa, you can check out some really cool joints a stunning two-storey that grabs your attention at the first sight. Made of upcycled shipping containers, this cafe unit by Emaar Properties stands tall and proud for its avant garde design and architecture.

If fine dining is about the experience, then dining at this cafe can be counted as among the finest. Good taste, after all, isn’t just about food!

Think of this: eight containers that have braved the seas for a good number of years, and in their lifetime, been to shores that few diners have. In them sleep narratives that, if they were to be told, would hold the audience spellbound. And the end of their seaworthiness still did not mean the end of their inherent strength, safety or longevity. They remain just as unbreakable on land as they were at sea. Only, now they have transformed into a cozy cafeteria that welcomes people as much with great looks as with delectable food.

Ah, the satisfaction of a job well done!

At SmartBox, our work is truly our passion. And what we build using mega-sized 20 and 40 feet CorTen steel building blocks are dreams – strong, sustainable, environmentally friendly live-work-play spaces that start in the creative mind and end up as very practical, immensely usable, works of art. What’s more? The speed and resource efficiency of our container-based construction are unparalleled.

Take this cafe project we did for Emaar Properties LLC, for instance, which is indeed a perfect example of what cargotecture is all about. 30 days, 8 units of 40’ used containers and some committed team work at our factory – and voila! You have a striking-looking two storey building serving excellent coffee (among other things) to discerning guests! A month from the drawing board to installation – can you believe it?

Cargotecture is not just about speed, though. It is without doubt among the most versatile forms of modular construction available in the world today. These super-sized building blocks can be used to construct anything from a kiosk to multi-level hotel apartments, regardless of the aesthetics involved. From lean, unadorned looks to elaborate decorative structures – there is no limit to what can be achieved through container conversion. And no matter what style you go for, the strength, durability and sustainability remains unaltered.

Want to know more about container conversion? Visit http://smartbox.build and check out our blogs and projects.