Plywood, a ubiquitous building material, became a symbol of resistance in Oakland, CA during the momentous summer of 2020. As protests shook the flawed institutional structures of our society, the streets became a canvas where anger, solidarity, and hope was expressed.

Out of fear of property destruction, many businesses used plywood to board up their storefronts as a precaution to the protests that emerged. Simultaneously, these bare canvases were also painted with murals and messages in solidarity with Black Lives. Today, while the veil of ”returning to normal“ has dissipated before our eyes, the fight against systemic racism continues. In the material’s simple application during a revolutionary moment, it offers a reinterpretation of architectural scales: from material to building to the urban.

Thus, a lingering question remained, what happens after the protests and the pandemic subsides? In its inception, Workshop 9 became interested in collecting and recirculating the storefront plywood back to the community. Although parklets are designated as temporary through the Oakland Flex Streets Initiative, its intervention becomes an opportunity to add another layer of complexity between a building material and its urban environment.

While this may be the first parklet on International Street in East Oakland, we hope it won’t be the last.





For latest news on Workshop 9, follow us here.
In collaboration with Oakland Indie Alliance, Bay Area Redwood, Semar Prom, & La Frontera Restaurant

For more information on the 2016 Symposium Metrics, Meaning + Matrices by Equity x Design, click here