From Derelict Gas Station to Art-Filled Community Hub
Mini Mart City Park is a striking transformation of a former gas station site in Seattle, USA, into a vibrant hub for art events and community gatherings. Designed by the architecture firm GO’C and founded by the artist collaborative SuttonBeresCuller, the project exemplifies how art and architecture can reimagine urban spaces and address environmental issues.
The blueprint for Mini Mart City Park draws inspiration from the remnants of a 1930s-era, 450-square-foot filling station. While the original structure was too compromised to preserve, the design team skilfully reinterpreted its charm. The new layout includes a gallery and community centre, a more public green space, and a storage and utility box, all with a modern yet nostalgic touch.
A central feature of the park is the open-air courtyard, a multifunctional exterior space that serves as a platform for large-scale art installations, film screenings, and evening gatherings. This flexible space allows for various community activities, enhancing the park’s role as a cultural and social hub.
Mini Mart City Park also addresses a broader urban issue. With over 700 derelict gas stations in the Puget Sound region alone, and more than 200,000 across the USA, the project explores how adaptive reuse can revitalise these neglected spaces. By transforming a former gas station into a shared, multi-use park and community space, the project serves as a model for sustainable urban development.
This transformation goes beyond aesthetics and function. It symbolises the healing of an urban problem—reclaiming spaces once dominated by pollution and decay and giving them new life through art, community, and sustainability.
For a city grappling with issues of space and environmental rehabilitation, Mini Mart City Park is a beacon of what’s possible when creativity meets purpose. It stands as a testament to the power of design to not only preserve the past but also to create a meaningful future.