7. Vendors Customized Their Spaces with the Architect

Photo by Fay Wong

The new Essex Street Market was designed by SHoP Architects and market architect Hugh A. Boyd. SHoP Architects have designed countless buildings in New York City such as the Barclays Center, 111 West 57th Street and the American Copper Buildings. Boyd has been the designing force behind massive markets in Philadelphia, Baltimore and other cities across the country.

In making the move across the street, each vendor received a brand new space. Boyd’s firm worked directly with the vendors to accommodate their needs and give their stalls character. SHoP and the NYCEDC set general design parameters for materials and colors, but each vendor was able to express personality in the design. You can see variations in color and materials as you walk through the market, and in addition to uniform signage which runs along the top of all the vendors, each stall has their own sign.