The Boxyard Tulsa

Based on other container parks that one of the developers saw in a trip to the United Kingdom for the 2012 Olympics, the Boxyard Tulsa is part of a multi-year effort to rejuvenate downtown Tulsa. Like a lot of container parks, it does that in several ways.

First, Boxyard Tulsa takes advantage of a comparatively small parcel of urban land that would be difficult to develop into multi-tenant retail with other types of construction. Without the container park, this land might be a parking lot, and perhaps a single business.

Instead, twenty small businesses are provided an opportunity to thrive in this location. The property intentionally curated unique, diverse businesses that offer products and services you might not find in other locations. And with physically smaller stores (and correspondingly cheaper rents), newer businesses are able to afford a spot in an urban location that they might otherwise be priced out of.

You won’t find any chain stores here, just the type of entrepreneurial store owners that community members like the support. And there are obvious synergies from having so many different stores in such close proximity. You eat, drink, and shop all within a radius of just a few dozen meters, in what has been called the densest retail development in Oklahoma by some. 

From banking to bars, from haircuts to hamburgers, a micro-retail development like The Boxyard Tulsa provides an incredible place to spend time and money for local consumers. And with all that outdoor space, there is plenty of room for programmed events as well.

The design of the container retail center takes advantage of 39 used 40-foot shipping containers that are stacked and configured on two different levels. The overall site plan is roughly U-shaped, with three separate building spaces surrounding and framing a central courtyard.

To go from 39 containers down to 20 retail spaces, several of the containers were cut and combined to form a variety of floorplans ranging from 320 square feet up to 1600 square feet. Some are configured for food and beverage locations, while others are better suited for traditional consumer-facing retail.

While there are some container spaces on the second floor, the space is dominated by open-air sitting areas for eating, drinking, and people watching. The designers used wood across the open areas and in the pathways connecting the second-floor areas, softening the harsher metal of the shipping containers. Up here you’ll also find the aptly named OPEN container bar that opens onto the wooden patio.

We really love how the designers were able to reuse and repurpose some of the excess material from the container modifications. One of the most prevalent modifications you see is the removal of almost all of the metal doors from the shipping container, which were replaced with storefront windows and doors to provide light to the interior of the space.

Many of those container doors were used on the second floor as railings around the open areas. Other doors were modified and welded into huge tree planters that you can see in the interior courtyard. Whether in these planters or via in-ground landscaping, the designers were smart to include a variety of plant life that provides a green touch to the industrial vibe of the space.

But if you aren’t looking down at the plants, there’s plenty more to visually admire. Murals and signs adorn the corrugated metal of the containers, and the incredible Tulsa skyline is just above the horizon, offering majestic sunset views from the upstairs patio.

Overall, The Boxyard Tulsa is a great execution of the shipping container retail park idea that we continue seeing around the world. It’s an asset to the community, a hub for small business owners, and a uniquely fun place to spend an hour or two. And someday down the line, if this location is needed for another purpose, these containers could be removed or relocated much easier than buildings with other types of construction. What’s not to love?