Originally published by Ron Nyren on August 20, 2024, for UrbanLand Magazine.

10 adventurous designs for vehicle storage

As much as modern culture has embraced the automobile, parking still tends to be perceived as a necessary evil. Asphalt expanses or dour gray monoliths showcasing a monotonous array of windshields can suck the life out of any streetscape. Inventively designed parking structures and strategies, however, can contain vehicles while harmonizing with their surroundings, deploying sustainable elements, incorporating artwork or complementary uses, and adding vibrancy to the street.

The following projects include an underwater bicycle garage; a university parking structure that includes a gaming lounge and food hall; a surface lot reimagined as open space with parklike amenities; an underground cafeteria repurposed for cars; and parking decks wrapped in artistic, semitransparent enclosures that reflect local culture.