When a  construction company donated a shipping container to Oliveira Penteado Square in São Paulo, Placemaking group Bella Rua went to work on creating a new public space amenity. The group retrofitted three of the walls with hinges so that they could open up and reveal a stage for performers while closing at night for projected movies and storage. This corrugated steel box became a focal point of the park--a destination within the space that, when unpacked each morning, provided visitors with even more activities like giant checkers, painting and story time for kids, as well as café seating for relaxation. Visitors to the square were further encouraged to write suggestions for the space on the walls of “the Cube.” Rua-Cubed (Rua3), as the container is called, shows how a single, low-cost intervention can set the stage for even larger transformations of public spaces, generating excitement while gathering ideas for subsequent Placemaking actions.  

Photo credits, from left: Bela Rua, Bela Rua via Facebook, Bela Rua via Facebook, Bela Rua via Facebook, Bela Rua via Facebook, Bela Rua

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