Freitag Recycled Shipping Container Store in Zurich
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.21.06
It's impressive to see just how much the Freitag brothers and their namesake corporation are into reusing and recycling materials that would otherwise be abandoned. We recently found out about their flagship store in Zurich (Maybe some of our Swiss readers have seen it? You can leave your impressions in the comments): It is made out of "used Type 20/8/86 ISO1CC Type Steel Dry Containers", reminding us a bit of the shipping container house. "Optimum use had to be made of the small plot of land right next to Gerold-strasse. The standard 20-foot shipping container was chosen as the basic building block for the construction of an asymmetric tower of 9 containers rising from a 4 x 2 base. Set back from the road, the structural shell of the building emphasizes the size of the adjacent brownfield site. The base is used as a sales outlet, while the tower has become a striking landmark between two main international transportation routes. The circle, from product to building to product, is complete." More below.
This structure goes well with the company because they are using recycled truck tarpaulins to make many (if not all) of their products, like the F23 iPod sleeve pictured below. It's kind of cool to read "color: varying according to pan-European truck tarp fashion".
They also make all kinds of wallets, bags, laptop sleeves with recycled tarpaulins. It's probably very durable stuff, though we've not tried it personally.
Here are some more shots of the shipping container store in Zurich.
::Freitag, ::Classics: Freitag Recycled Freeway Bags, ::The Freitag Book (Recycled Bags)
this is a fantastic idea/ concept store. I own 2 Frietag bags and the thing I love about them is not just the durability, the randomness of the designs (even though you can also select the pieces you want through the website) but also the marks of distress and history of use on each piece. To think that each wallet, bag and accessory has travelled long distances as a tarp and then been discarded and rescued and resuscitated to live a new life is rather special. Everyone should have one or support similar enterprise. It actually gives me enormous pleasure to see their industry grow and develop. I'm happy to see the flagship store carries through the ingenuity and commitment to recycling of the product. it looks great!
Love my Frietag, they're much more durable and stylish than any other bags I ever own.
Reminds me of the Nomadic Museum, which won a gold 2006 IDEA award last week:
http://www.idsa.org/IDEA2006/galleries/idea/idea2006/award_details.asp?id=53&cat=7
Swiss Reader here.
Unfortunately, have not been to the Freitag store in Zurich. But a great excuse to go.
Freitag accessories are everywhere in Europe.
Highly recommended for their durability, fashion, as well as the fact that they are from recycled materials!
freitag tower building is disaster. statics was not strong!
see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvPcsfdTWI0
building suddenly falls! verry crazy!!
I live in Zurich and pass the shop on a regular basis,
Not all freitag bags are made from truck tarps, I used to work putting up advertising banners for circus knie all over switzerland and some of those banners where made into bags!
Shout out from the Uk here. I like this idea, where I work we have several shipping containers used for storage. There are literally thousands of shipping containers in circulation with no proper uses when they meet the end of their life. Refitting containers that are no longer suitable for shipping into living or office space is an excellent recycling idea.