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Building An Innovative Pop-Up Cafe with Barr Gazetas

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The Customer

Home to some of the UK’s most creative businesses, Battersea Studios’ owners were keen to make the most of every square foot of the iconic building at Silverthorne Road, Battersea.

As a result, London based architects, Barr Gazetas, commissioned S Jones and our specialist engineers and designs to help them realise their ambitions and bring the concept to life using modified containers.

The Challenge

Battersea Studios’ primary aim was to free up the valuable commercial space that the previous cafe was occupying. In introducing a pop-up cafe to replace the previous cafe, the free space would then be able to be rented out to interested parties.

What Barr Gazetas Had To Say

Tom Lacey, Associate Director at Barr Gazetas, said:

“We found that by working directly with S Jones Containers as the designer and manufacturer, it brought us closer to the manufacturing process, giving us greater control of the development of the specification as it progressed.”

The S Jones Solution

We supplied two modified shipping containers as the basis for the pop up café, so the former cafeteria space in the main building can be redeveloped for additional rentable space.

The containers were designed and supplied together with the access stairs and mezzanine platform, and roof structure with letter ‘B’ sign that sits on top of the overall structure.

The ‘B’ sign, which weighs a considerable 1400kg, is mounted onto a complex support structure.

It is fabricated from 20mm thick laser cut Corten steel sections to create its ‘dashed’ appearance that becomes strikingly 3D when illuminated at night.

Barr Gazetas’ use of Corten steel for the sign and stair cladding, combined with the corrugations of the containers creates a striking ‘industrialistic’ look – the Corten steel is a specialist ‘weathering’ steel that is typically installed unpainted and allowed to oxidise (rust) to create a patinated finish.

The Angel of the North is made of this material, as are the cladding panels of shipping containers because of the Corten steel’s corrosion resistant properties.

What Our Customers Say

Christine
1st Aug 2025

Shazia was helpful from my first enquiry to the delivery of my container. She sorted any query and enabled me to buy exactly what I was looking for. The driver who delivered container was also a credit to his company. Nothing was too much trouble and everything done with a smile .

Phil
20th Jun 2025

Got in touch with Shazia at the depot she organised everything delivery was a bit worrying as the area was tight but the delivery guy was amazing and got them exactly where we wanted them ,, all a very good service provided

Stephen
20th Jun 2025

Responsive, efficient and evenly priced. Highly recommended.

Mary
29th Apr 2025

Very helpful over the phone and the driver was very good would definitely use again

Steve
27th Feb 2025

Very good service

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0800 1954 538