Liberation Park Market Hall & Communal Courtyard

AE3 Partners is proud to lead the design of the Liberation Park Market Hall and Communal Courtyard, a catalytic project in East Oakland that brings together culture, commerce, and community on land reclaimed for and by the local Black community. Commissioned by the Black Cultural Zone Community Development Corporation, the project transforms a former parking lot at Eastmont Mall into a vibrant cultural and economic hub.

The heart of the project is a flexible, open-air marketplace designed to support Black-owned small businesses, food vendors, and artisans with modular stalls, natural ventilation, and solar-ready canopy structures. Surrounding the marketplace is a welcoming communal courtyard, landscaped with native plantings and designed for activation, providing space for live performances, pop-up markets, family events, and everyday gatherings.

AE3’s design approach integrates equity-focused urban design principles and honors Afro-diasporic traditions of public space and marketplace culture. In close collaboration with community stakeholders, the team crafted a space that supports local economic development while reinforcing cultural pride and place-keeping in a neighborhood facing historic disinvestment.

The Liberation Park Marketplace and Courtyard will serve as a cornerstone for ongoing revitalization efforts, offering a safe, inclusive, and inspiring public space that reflects the resilience and creativity of East Oakland.

Location: Oakland, California
Role: Prime Architect / Architect of Record
Size: 53,000 SF
Status: Ongoing