BOX
BOX: An Urban Repository considers how the schema of the big box store has the potential to become a vehicle for new and transformational urban scenarios beyond the provision of “everyday low prices”. As a point of departure, a typical Wal-Mart box is analyzed and strategies for remaking the type are developed to the benefit of both local and global economies. The REMADE BOX negotiates the flows of frictionless global economies with the needs of local markets and culture. As an assemblage, this new box is composed as overlay of new systems built upon existing big box infrastructure. Wind turbines and light spires create a dynamic array system to promote sustainability in the form of civic art. The parking lot is transformed into a “parking garden” with permeable surfaces and spaces for gathering and recreation. Truck containers subdivide portions of the box for use as private studios for designers and artists. Local market tents infill into the box warehouse to sell local products, food, and crafts. The E-Mall ‘monolith’ connects visitors to products available globally. These new box systems attend to environmental, aesthetic, and technological issues in order to establish a new attitude towards public space, cultural expression, and commercial box infrastructure.

Jury's Title: Innovative adaptive re:use