In a remarkable example of adaptive reuse, over 7,000 shipping containers have been stacked together to create the thriving marketplace in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The kilometer-long Dordoy Bazaar is considered one of the Asia’s greatest public market places, and it is built out of thousands of shipping containers double-stacked under large shade structures.

The bazaar first began back in 1992 and it has since grown into an enormous marketplace containing streets, plazas, restaurants, stores and offices. The market stretches about a kilometer long and is located on the north-eastern outskirts of Bishkek. Technically, the market is composed of several (about 9) different markets, but there are no fences or demarcations to indicate the different areas, each of which specializes in various types of consumer goods. (more…)