It’s a pop of colour on a dull morning.

A local artist has transformed the large cargo bike storage unit on Cork’s South Mal into a piece of living art.

The piece was completed by local artist Paul Gleeson, who is the organiser of the annual Cork Graffiti Jam, and turns what was once a boring grey box frequently targetted by taggers into a vibrant display of creativity.

Cargo Bike store looking well…. take a bow Paul Gleeson. pic.twitter.com/omLo8ej9D4

— CorkCityCentre (@corkcitycentre) January 9, 2024

The box is one of two used to house some of Cork City Council’s Cargo Bike Fleet which they purchased through funding from the Department of Public Expenditure’s Innovation fund as part of a project to establish a cargo bike fleet ‘library’.

Businesses and community groups can borrow a bike for a period of six months on a trial scheme to see if using a cargo bike on a daily basis could be an alternative to other modes of transport before they invest themselves.

Cork City Council is also planning on utilising cargo bikes for use within the City Council across various departments.

Since 2019 there has been an increase of over 200 new bike parking spaces in the city.