After
completion of the interior concourse with its new entry at mid-block on 9th
Avenue, it became apparent that shoppers had difficulty finding this location.
The ownership also wanted to reflect the great interior changes on the exterior.
To herald this major change, the entire existing facade was refurbished and
repointed and unified with the introduction of patina’d brass ribbons
covering the brick spandrels, which appear to weave behind and in front of the
building pilasters.
A new folded stainless steel and green glass canopy was developed to reinforce
the building’s presence in the Market district. It rises above the Market’s
entrance with its granite medallion and is joined on the south end by a matching
folded steel and acrylic vertical sign which is indirectly illuminated. At street
level all brick piers are covered with large slabs of eau sable granite, sculpted
by Mark Menin, continuing the granite found throughout the Market’s interior.
Central ‘industrial’ fountain made with large raw slabs of AuSable
granite and discarded drill bits by sculptor Mark Menin.
The brick arch in the concourse running through the building. A connecting passage
through the old block house that controlled the former factory’s train
shed was created by cutting two self supporting catenary arches through its
solid brick walls.