Skip to main content

Starbucks will see how Taiwan store made of shipping containers stacks up

Twenty-nine shipping containers are the building blocks for wild-looking new Starbucks at The Hualien Bay Mall, a yet-to-be-opened tourist destination that overlooks the Pacific Ocean in Taiwan. It’s the brand’s 40th shipping container store but Taiwan’s first to be designed by the preeminent Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who is known for work that seeks to both recover the tradition of buildings and reinterpret those traditions for the 21st century.

Kuma’s team and builders arranged the shipping containers into an angular, two-story edifice complete with a drive-through. In total, the store has a floor space of 320 square meters (3,444 square feet) with an exterior that Kuma says is designed to evoke the uneven foliage of coffee trees, which is an interesting re-imagining given that Starbucks originally used the containers to ship its coffee around the world.

“The stacking of the shipping containers created a much taller space and provides natural sunlight throughout the various skylights found throughout the structure,” the press release notes.

Recommended Videos

Meanwhile, the interior of the store, which wasn’t designed by Kuma, revolves around a large, colorful wall mural that pays tribute to the cultural history of Hualien by portraying the aboriginal Amis people as well as views of a nearby mountain range.

It’s Kuma’s first Starbucks in Taiwan but far from his first go-round with the coffee company. The renowned architect also built Starbucks Japan’s Fukuoka store and the exterior of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Tokyo. The architect was also responsible for the iconic Starbucks Coffee shop at the base of Shaw Tower in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Other key projects include the Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo, the Bamboo Wall House in China, and the upcoming Olympic Stadium being built in Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Games.

“If we could combine Starbucks spirit with the spirit of the artisan, we knew we could create something special,” Kuma has said about his collaboration with the worldwide chain.

The store is a continuation of the “Starbucks Greener Stores” initiative that provides a road map to designing, building, and operating sustainable stores around the world that use reclaimable materials and green design principles.

Clayton Moore
Clayton Moore’s interest in technology is deeply rooted in the work of writers like Warren Ellis, Cory Doctorow and Neal…
Best tech for new grads: From dorm to office
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in silver.

Graduation season is just around the corner, which means it's about time that you start thinking about the gifts you're going to get for new graduates. Some students will head into college and move into dorms, while some students are leaving that chapter behind and will instead find their way into an office. With those in mind, we've rounded up this list of offers featuring discounts for some of the best tech for new grads.

Anker 332 USB-C Hub -- $25 $35 29% off

Read more
Earth Day with Reolink: Protecting nature, one camera at a time
earth day with reolink protecting nature one camera at a time hero crop

This Earth Day, Reolink is celebrating the incredible intersection of technology and conservation. With help from environmentally conscious users and dedicated NGO partners, Reolink is proving that small actions, powered by smart outdoor technology, can lead to a big impact for our planet's wildlife and natural landscapes.
Smarter, Greener Outdoor Monitoring
Reolink's lineup of outdoor cameras, including the Go PT Ultra, Go Ranger PT, and TrackMix LTE, do more than safeguard homes. They empower nature lovers to connect with the wild while treading lightly on the environment.

Each camera is engineered for sustainability and performance. Solar power compatibility keeps them running without contributing to battery waste. Their rugged, waterproof designs ensure they survive the toughest outdoor elements. And with stunning 4K 8MP ultra-clear footage, they capture the beauty of wildlife — from the shimmer of a bird's wings to the subtle prowling of a fox at dusk — without disturbing natural behavior.

Read more
Roku expands smart home lineup with two upcoming security cameras
The Roku Battery Camera on a tree

Roku might be known for its streaming sticks and smart TVs, but the brand also has a strong presence in the smart home market. From video doorbells and smart lights to plugs and motion sensors, Roku’s smart home catalog is surprisingly robust. The catalog is set to expand in the coming months, as Roku has officially revealed two upcoming security cameras -- the Roku Battery Camera and Roku Battery Camera Plus.

The Roku Battery Camera Plus is the most enticing of the two, as it can get up to two years of battery life on a single charge (the Battery Camera gets up to six months). They can also be combined with an optional solar panel to extend their battery life. Beyond that, most specs are shared -- including 1080p resolutions, color night vision, and the option to receive motion alerts when activity is detected around your home.

Read more