Eye-popping basketball court puts quirky spin on a classic urban space

We’ve seen urban spaces of a number of types get rethought over the years—from parks to public plazas and everything in between. Last August, we fawned over an arty, basketball court rendered in primary hues in Paris’s 9th arrondissement, asking if it was, in fact, the world’s funkiest. At the time, it sure seemed like it.

But in the northern Italian city of Alessandria, Italy (about 60 miles south of Milan), a new, quirky basketball court masterminded by Sicilian mononymic artist Gue is giving the Paris court a run for its money.

Combining shades of orange, yellow, blue, and gray, Gue used curved lines to create a color-blocked court that calls to mind the graphic work of Picasso. The effect, especially from the air, is striking, and reminds us of the power a mural can have on the appearance and vibe of even the most common elements of an urban streetscape.

Photos by Ugo Galassi