Whole Foods Market

Cleveland, OH

Located in University Heights, a long-established suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, the Whole Foods Market anchors a key commercial corner in town, replacing a vacant strip shopping center. The planning and design solutions address the challenges of the current site, the industrial architecture of the city, and the multiple components of the Market, conceived by MV+A as a modern “machine for merchandising.”
 
The 45,000 square-foot store is located on one level, with a substantial portion of the parking on the roof and a surface lot behind the building. This placement brings the main façade of the market to the edge of the sidewalk, establishing a strong architectural presence in the area. The soaring canopy over the façade shelters the loading zone adjacent to the rooftop parking area and provides a prop for signage. When lit at night, the canopy is reminiscent of a theatrical marquee that attracts the attention of potential patrons. The site continues the existing street pattern and allows doubled-lined parking along a bypass road.
 
The store’s diverse functions are expressed in unique architectural masses designed in scale and form into a harmonious whole. The restrained blending of masonry and steel sets the architectural dialogue, with angled storefront frames and colored glass providing framed views into the store. The masonry palate is a blend of burnt oranges originating from a local brick plant. The brick work is detailed to create new, distinctly modern forms and to accentuate the contrast between horizontal and vertical planes.
 
The architects chose steel, a more light and flowing material, to contrast to the masonry—massive and square in proportion. The roof beams are reduced to tapered tees, angled skyward in direct opposition to the ground-hugging brick piers. The ramp uses steel columns and beams with tensile ties that recall the numerous bridges of Cleveland.

Awards:

Associated Builders and Contractors,
Certificate of Merit

American Institute of Architects,
Honor Award

American Institute of Architects,
Award of Merit in Architecture

American Institute of Architects,
Honor Award