Whole Foods Market
The first Whole Foods designed by MV+A is still thriving after 25 years. In an era where grocery stores were abandoning cities and retail design relied on corporate prototypes the Clarendon Whole Foods opened to much fanfare.
Benjamin Forgey of The Washington Post featured it on the cover, noting: ”..it’s the exterior that’s important as a model-it proves that the basic retail box can be shaped and dressed to meet the needs of specific urban neighborhoods..”
AIA Washington awarded it its highest Design Award.
Applying tenets of contextualism and good urban design, MV+A reimagined what a grocery store could look like. It’s four sides are sculpted to reflect program and transparency, materials celebrate permanence, and services are unobtrusive.
