Infrastructure is a vital component within the urban fabric. Cities are constantly investing, retrofitting and building infrastructure. So what happens when a piece of infrastructure is no longer needed?

As biking and public transit become more popular modes of transit, the prevalence of the individual car is declining. Consequently, the need for gas stations is starting to diminish. Instead of demolishing these forms of infrastructure, cities are rethinking the way these public spaces can be used.

A New Orleans resident converted an abandoned gas station into his own living space. In London, a filling station along Regent’s Canal was converted into a sleek and stylish restaurant.

But the most recent project to modify these outdated pieces of infrastructure is coming out of Amsterdam. Sophie Valla Architects saved several decaying gas stations from being demolished. Seeing the potential for these spaces as communal gathering places, the design firm thought it was vital to save them.

Now the stations are a permanent light sculpture. LED lights are installed on the station’s roofs, lighting up the plaza where locals gather. The light shows have been designed to convey 20 different Dutch weather scenarios. The end product is a gas station that you actually want to spend time in.

Artist and urban creative Candy Chang (creator of the famous “Before I Die”project) was commissioned to create public art for Turku, Finland’s 2011 European Capital of Culture events. She decided to focus her art on a popular bike and pedestrian path that takes students from their residences to the nearby university. The path is known locally as Uraputki, or “Career Path”. In what she says is to “remind students of a larger picture”, Candy turned to path into an interactive art space where students and pedestrians fill in the gaps in the sentences “When I was little I wanted to be ____. Today I want to be ____” using coloured chalk.

Candy has said that the project “is about comparing yourself today and when you were young, reflecting on how you’ve changed or stayed the same, and thinking about the desires you had as a child.”