Each year, Nashville’s Civic Design Center invites designers to reimagine urban streetscape through its PARK(ing) Day competition. In 2025, ESa was honored with the winning entry for Sweet Relief, a vibrant and inviting parklet designed in collaboration with the Cupcake Collection in Germantown. What was once a single parking space is an extension of the bakery and a colorful space integrated into the heart of the neighborhood. By day, it’s a place where customers can enjoy a sweet treat under playful rainbow-colored shadows cast from acrylic panels above. By evening, it shifts into a public retreat, open for anyone to sit, gather and connect with the community.

The design balances function and imagination, with modular benches and high-top seating that echo the character of the surrounding residential architecture. Shade structures double as bright accents, making the small space feel lively and welcoming. Its modularity also allows the parklet to be easily reimagined or replicated elsewhere in the city. Sweet Relief builds on this idea, drawing inspiration from the bungalow-style architecture of The Cupcake Collection. The parklet mirrors its low-pitched rooflines, arched windows, and porch-like openness, while introducing a fresh, contemporary layer through modular forms and a playful interplay of solid and void.

  • Three of the five modular structures face the sidewalk and The Cupcake Collection, encouraging interaction with the lawn and activating the public edge. The other two face inward toward the street, completing the solid-void composition and providing shade from the southwest sun. This dual orientation balances openness and enclosure, enhancing both social engagement and climatic comfort.
  • Modular benches and high-top seating echo the cadence of nearby homes.
  • CMU block walls provide a buffer from the street while incorporating ribbed accents and integrated planters.
  • Transparent cable railings open up sightlines, drawing people in.

Overhead, bright polycarbonate panels, integrated into five arched structures, filter sunlight like sprinkles on a cupcake, casting colorful shadows that shift throughout the day and add a sense of wonder to the experience.

Built by Many Hands
The project came to life through the efforts of a 14-person ESa team working hand in hand with the Civic Design Center, JE Dunn (contractor), and The Cupcake Collection (owner). Despite a fast-paced, pro-bono timeline, the collaboration produced something lasting: a pocket-sized public space that celebrates community, creativity, and the simple joy of pausing for a cupcake. Adding to the energy, the Boys and Girls Club joined the process. With support from the Civic Design Center and JE Dunn, young students were able to take part in the building effort, reinforcing the belief that every contribution matters and that design can be a tool for both education and empowerment.

Nestled within Germantown’s historic fabric, the parklet is a community catalyst and a love letter to local culture. It honors the spirit of The Cupcake Collection while offering a new space for connection, reflection and delight. Whether you’re savoring a treat, sharing a story or simply taking a moment to rest, this year’s PARK(ing) Day parklet reminds us that joy is best when shared, one sprinkle and one sweet moment, at a time.

Park(ing) day is a global, public, participatory project where people across the world temporarily repurpose curbside parking spaces and convert them into public parks and social spaces to advocate for safer, greener, and more equitable streets for people.

Photos & Renderings: ESa