Pybus Public Market

Graham Baba Architects | Wenatchee, Washington

About

Located in the Columbia Riverfront area of Wenatchee, the Pybus Public Market was developed as a collaborative effort between the Port of Chelan CountyandtheCityofWenatchee.Theprojectaimed to establish a permanent home for the Wenatchee Valley Farmer’s Market, capture the history and culture of the area, and create a new focal point for the community. To achieve this, the project team decided to renovate the Pybus warehouse building, which had been vacant since the departure of the E.T.PybusSteelCompany,ratherthandemolishitand construct a new building.

The structure was the first all-metal building in Wenatchee, erected after World War II, and it possessed a rugged industrial look that the designers sought to celebrate and preserve. ThedesignofthePybusMarketfocusedonstabilizing the existing structure while making it safe, practical, and inviting. The large sliding steel doors, made from remnantsoftheoriginalbuilding,provideentrytothe fully-enclosed market, which preserves the interior volume that soars to 41 feet through the center of the building.Allexteriorcladdingandglazingarenew,as the existing metal walls could not be salvaged. The new Bonderized steel cladding will slowly weather over time, further enhancing the building’s hardearned patina. The roof is a new code-compliant structure built on top of the existing roof, which was preservedastheinteriorfinish.Allsignageisnew,and the market now features 18 stalls for local vendors, occupying 25,000 square feet.

The Pybus Market has transformed the vacant Pybus warehouse building into a year-round market that serves as a local, regional, and tourist destination. Themarketbringstogetherregionalfooddistribution and opportunities for new and emerging endeavors within the Wenatchee Valley, establishing this place as a significant community landmark. The project’s success is attributed to the aggregate of small, authentic, thoughtful moves rather than grand architectural statements.

Resilience

What interests me in this project as a case study is its humble origins, its simple structural grid and its ability to adapt 80 years after its erection. The large single center bay and its accompanying side bays is classic to many forms of architecture, from rural farmhouses, to industrious warehouses, to breathtaking cathedrals. The structural organization lends itself across both time and purpose. This type of durability and flexibility is something I would like my design to achieve, so that any programming the communitywishestohaveinthefuture,thedesignwill naturally lend itself to that new vision while avoiding excessive waste in demolition and redevelopment.

Regeneration

This project was possible through an Ecology IntegratedPlanningGrantandisboastedasasuccess story of redeveloping a brownfield on Washington State’s Department of Ecology website. The site I’ve chosen was not ever considered a brownfield, but it is a landfill as explained earlier during my analysis section. I hope to create a project that increases public access along the waterfront, provides flexible spaces for new community connections, all while encouraging stewardship over Lake Chelan.