Founders Food Hall
About this Project
Built in 1908 as a locomotive repair building for the railway, this historic building on the Charlottetown waterfront had a stint as an interpretive centre before sitting largely vacant for years. Reopening in 2019 as Founders’ Food Hall and Market, this major transformation to an open-concept artisan food and craft marketplace has helped return the building to its original form as a voluminous space, exposing turn of the century architecture, detail and character. A year-round vibrant market showcasing local food and products, Founders’ Food Hall contains multiple vendors, government tenants, a mezzanine and a community gathering space.
The original concrete floors, brick walls, pilasters, steel structure and wood plank roof have been fully exposed, creating an expression of the industrial design and a perfect backdrop to the atmosphere of the market. All millwork, cabinetry, fixtures and materials were carefully selected to provide contrast to the original brick and to modernize the space. Using a combination of steel, rough and finished birch and maple, and a touch of tile and glass provided a clean and inviting atmosphere for an intimate market experience. A large wood and steel trellis adds coziness and was designed as an abstract representation of elevated train tracks that would have once existed on the floor below.
We were asked to design two subsequent projects for the building – an addition to house a Visitor Information Centre, and exterior landscaping and seating to expand the outdoor space. The Visitor Information Centre addition not only works with the historic form, but mimics the interior’s social flow by introducing a welcoming curved informative station for visitors, playful modular furniture throughout, and interactive spaces to learn and educate about our Island’s culture. The social flow extends outside to the market’s outdoor patio and gathering spaces, which includes social bubble seating, fire pits, and a performance stage.
This beautiful and historic brick structure has come full circle and is once again providing an important service to the Island.
