Located in Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood, this design-build project undertaken with Burten Bell Carr Development is a retail incubator and outdoor space constructed out of ten retrofitted shipping containers. Home to seven retail spaces, BoxSpot is arranged in a two story, U-shaped configuration. The stories are connected by a covered staircase that ascends through the second floor. A third story observation tower rises from BoxSpot’s southwest corner to provide views of downtown Cleveland.
BoxSpot is anchored by an outdoor gathering and concert space. An elevated stage fabricated from a shipping container provides for performances. Stadium seating maximizes sight lines to the stage. This seating—and the surrounding space—is carved into the site and constructed from concrete to minimize maintenance and lend slip-resistance during winter months.
Details infuse BoxSpot’s industrial materials with warmth. The color yellow prominently features throughout the building—adorning the staircase, second floor railing and featured in color blocks across the exterior. A spot motif is painted in yellow across the building, referenced in the circular planters in the gathering area and in the large, circular corner garden. Cumaru, a low maintenance Brazilian hardwood, is inlaid into the second story walkway, stage and exterior seating as a contrasting natural element. Five by seven foot windows cut into the retail spaces illuminate BoxSpot at night. Vertically aligned on their frames, these windows create an aesthetic dialogue between the building’s stories and maximize structural efficiency.
