How Fort Kochi Turned Construction Waste Into a Stunning Public Space

Hanna Paul 20 May 2025

Built for the 2023 Kochi-Muziris Biennale, The Container is a performance venue crafted entirely from repurposed construction waste and local materials.

Picture credits : archdaily.com

Designed by Samira Rathod Design Atelier, the pavilion shows how architecture can find beauty and meaning in the forgotten and discarded.

Picture credits : archdaily.com

The structure incorporates construction debris, leftover granite, coir, and fishing nets found across Fort Kochi. 

Picture credits : Kerala Tourism

Picture credits : archdaily.com

It tells a dual story—of demolition and of design—turning destruction into something poetic and purposeful.

Picture credits : archdaily.com

The Container hosts performances, exhibitions, workshops, and talks—a space where form meets function, and reuse meets relevance.

Picture credits : archdaily.com

Engineered for easy assembly and dismantling, the venue uses air pockets for climate responsiveness and has no permanent footings.

Picture credits : archdaily.com

Its raw textures celebrate the challenge of using unconventional materials, revealing the quiet beauty of waste when reimagined.

Picture credits : archdaily.com

The roof draws from traditional Kochi homes, grounding the experimental space in the cultural and environmental spirit of Kerala.

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Why it matters: In an age of rising construction waste, The Container asks us to rethink architecture as a circular, sustainable, and deeply creative practice.

Picture credits : archdaily.com

Not just a pavilion, The Container is a symbol of resilience and imagination—a place where ruins rise, and design inspires a more mindful future.

Picture credits : archdaily.com