THE STORY

A renovation of a blighted Tyson Foods plant, the 8th Street Market is a 75,000sf foodhub that combines food production, brewery, retail and restaurants with a culinary arts school. The design creates a destination for the public catalyzed by increased interest in food production and an adjacent bike trail system.

The main vehicles for the transformation are the Courtyard, Skylight, and Vine. The Courtyard is a new insertion that demarcates the brewery, establishes an entrance for the school, and creates 320 ft of storefront. The Skylight transforms an existing mechanical opening into a real estate asset. The Vine is a 580 ft shad structure that creates a covered band of activity. Inspired by a combination of traditional market typology and agricultural vernacular it provides opportunities for interaction while integrating site amenities. The perforations are an abstraction of Arkansas’ Buffalo River, designed with a local artist and fabricated by Zahner.