Eataly Market & Dining Complex
UT Austin School of Architecture, Fall 2016 (Critic: Michael Garrison)
Rendering looking west across San Antonio Street. Mercato at left and office tower at right.
Located at the intersection of 24th Street, Nueces, and San Antonio in the heart of the bustling West Campus neighborhood in Austin, a notorious food desert, Eataly Austin fills a void in the urban fabric. Eataly markets have enjoyed great success in Italy and are now being introduced o the United States, bringing a new shopping and dining experience to this side of the Atlantic.
Modeled after European open-air markets of antiquity, groceries at Eataly are fresh and locally sourced which passes savings on to consumers. Moreover, ingredients can be prepared by chefs at the time of purchase, providing consumers more dining options and exposing them to a variety of cuisines. Numerous additional restaurants populate public spaces at ground level and in upper floors, accompanied by a rooftop beer garden offering local brews.
The 40,000 square-foot Eataly Austin complex embraces the legacy of its site, repurposing existing turn-of-the-century structures and preserving a heritage live oak at the center of the newly created campus. A lofty mercato stretches along the site’s southern edge and utilizes a kinetic facade to capture prevailing breezes for natural ventilation. The existing house and warehouse are transformed into cafes, restaurants, and retail outlets. Office spaces rise above the renovated warehouse, taking advantage of stunning views of downtown Austin and the UT Austin campus. In the center of the composition is piazza, the heart of activity in the daytime, engaging pedestrians as they move among the buildings. At nighttime, this piazza transforms into the service drive for the mercato.
