In downtown Providence, Rhode Island, an accidental room in the Providence Place Mall became an unlikely sanctuary for artist Michael Townsend and friends. The space, formed by two nearly-touching walls during construction, sat unused for years before Townsend discovered its potential as a hidden living space.

Townsend first noticed the strange gap while watching the 500 million dollar mall rise in 1999. The narrow canyon led to a forgotten area that wasn't storage or parking, just empty space between intentionally designed rooms. Years later, after losing their Fort Thunder artist collective to development, Townsend and displaced friends saw the mall's accidental room as both refuge and statement against urban redevelopment.

What began as a week-long experiment evolved into a four-year project. They hauled in furniture, built a cinderblock wall for privacy, and created a fully functional apartment complete with water tanks and electricity. The group lived there for weeks at a time, treating the mall as residents rather than shoppers. Their secret ended when Townsend showed the space to a visiting artist, triggering their discovery by mall security. The story captures how urban development can create unexpected spaces that serve purposes beyond their original design.