Riverdale Comes Alive with Whole Foods

Riverdale Park Station was off to a vibrant start with the opening of Whole Foods Market this past April. MV+A designed the master plan of the 38-acre Riverdale Park Station, which includes 160,000 square feet of commercial space, including shops, restaurants, Whole Foods Market, and Gold’s Gym; 22,000 square feet of offices; and nearly 1,000 residential units. MV+A is involved with numerous components of the project, undertaking expanded roles such as architect for the completed Whole Foods Market building and interiors, for four additional commercial Buildings that are currently under construction, and the multi-family building that will begin construction later this year. Additionally, MV+A is the design architect for the 119 townhouses that are currently under construction. Riverdale Park Station also features several parks, children’s play spaces, public art, bike share, and bike lanes, and is already taking shape as a gathering place for the local community. Learn more below.

Whole Foods Market opens at The Apollo at H Street

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Sited in the heart of DC’s lively H Street corridor, The Apollo bolsters the H Street resurgence with the opening of Whole Foods Market this Spring. MV+A is proud to have worked with Insight Property Group and SK+I Architecture in bringing this keystone project to life. MV+A led the retail planning and street level façade design for The Apollo and served as the design architect for Whole Foods Market interiors.

Colleen Korp

MV+A TEAM FEATURE

Colleen joined the MV+A team in the Spring of 2016 after graduating from Philadelphia University, and was integral to the Riverdale Park Station Whole Foods Market team.

During school, I was lucky enough to study abroad for a semester in Rome, Italy. Rome has an almost reverential attitude toward its historic fabric, but there is also some incredible contemporary work beyond the Aurelian Walls. There was no way I was going to miss seeing one of my all-time favorite buildings, Richard Meier’s Jubilee Church.

I dragged a few friends on a series of trains and buses to go see it, only to have to wait out in suburbia for it to open again (it closes for the afternoon and we arrived mere minutes after closing). Thankfully it was a beautiful day, so we took the opportunity to get some exterior shots and walk around the surrounding neighborhood.

I’m glad to say that it was worth the wait. I’m captivated by architecture that deftly manipulates light and texture to craft an experience, which is what draws me to this project and the rest of Meier’s work. Geometric forms slip past one another, with slots of light emerging between. In my experience, successful play of light can create a solemn, quiet sense of awe, rendering an atmosphere of the sacred and connecting the user back to nature. Being in this space was such a powerful experience. I would have loved to spend a full day at this building, watching the light change with the movement of the sun.

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