Residential Shipping Container Primer (RSCP™)

For its holiday pop-up, Illy used a piece of functional art to preview a new espresso-making system at the Time Warner Center. According to the folks at the Italian coffee company Illycaffè, they are as serious about art and sustainability as they are about coffee. And that's part of the reason behind the Push Button House, the pop-up promotion-cum-arts installation at the Time Warner Center. Designed by artist and architect Adam Kalkin, the piece is a fully functional and sustainable five-room home (built inside an industrial shipping container) from which Illy is marketing its new Hyper Espresso system of coffee extraction. Slightly shorter than the run of Illy's SoHo promotion in 2005, the house debuted to the public on Monday, December 3, and will be on display through December 30.

"The Push Button House II is a vehicle that brings Illy's brand values to life and serves as a reflection of Illy's continued commitment to innovation, the arts, and sustainable development," said Gregory Fea, president and C.E.O. of Illycaffè North America. Primarily made of steel, with wood, plexiglass, and recycled materials, the Push Button House is controlled by a computer (with several mechanical-engineering components inside the container) and takes about 90 seconds to open. Unfolded, the container has a kitchen, a dining area, a bedroom, a lounge, and a library. In the kitchen, Illy displays its newest espresso-making method, which uses coffee packaged in individual capsules.