Around The Corner
Shipping containers create new spot to hang out on Centennial Campus.
By Caroline Barnhill ’05
On a cool but sunny winter afternoon, freshman Katie Carpenter had plans to enjoy a quick lunch with a friend before heading to class. Carpenter, a fashion and textile management major from Holly Springs, N.C., found the perfect spot at The Corner.
Located at — you guessed it — the corner of Main Campus and Research Drive on Centennial Campus, The Corner is a new open-air space featuring four repurposed and brightly colored shipping containers. One is set up for café dining; another has a long table for group meetings. The rest offer a hodge-podge of seating, complete with outlets for charging devices. In the evenings, the area is lit up with string lights.
. . . a great place to study or catch up with friends between classes.
“I first went to The Corner for a sorority event,” Carpenter says, “and thought it would be a great place to study or catch up with friends between classes.”
The Corner was the brainchild of Jude DesNoyer ’06, ’22 MR, activation and outreach manager for the Real Estate and Development Office. DesNoyer says he had been toying around with the idea of using old shipping containers as a gathering place for several years. While Fitts-Woolard Hall was under construction, the area was used to store equipment. “Once the building was complete, the space was vacant,” DesNoyer says. “I pitched my idea for The Corner and ran with it.”
The Corner opened in late fall, right before the students left for winter break, and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Individuals and groups are encouraged to reserve container space, or even the whole lawn.
