Atrium Addition in The Old Market?

Old Market Passageway

Why would you put an atrium addition between two historic buildings in the Old Market District in Omaha, Nebraska? This district is on the national historic register! Could such an addition be successful?

The addition in question is the Old Market Passageway. This project was actually completed roughly 20 years ago as the district was being revitalized. The space I studied was formally an alley between two buildings which was dug out to the basement levels. The two buildings have different floor elevations which have made negotiating around the passageway a bit of a challenge (see sketch below).

The exterior of the building (front) was constructed of an old storefront from another building (torn down) and simple lumber construction (above) which fits and complements the two brick buildings on both sides. When the roof overhang was reconstructed on the corner building it was extended to include the passageway, making this addition even more transparent at the street level.

The entrance appears to be another storefront along the street and many people don’t realize what awaits them behind these doors. To the left of the entry is ramp to gain access to the main level of the passageway below. Though the ramp appears out of place in this environment, the detailing is consistent with the district.

Once inside you encounter a wonderfully bright urban space with nature, art, activity (though not in the pictures I took) and aromas from the restaurants on the lowest level. The space while long and vertical in both directions, is warm and inviting. The walls and openings are the former brick exteriors of the two buildings. Areas of brick have been reworked with brick that either match or contrast. The brick rework is a sort of history lesson in that you find yourself asking why was that done (i.e. that opening was made bigger when the elevation was dropped). I find this variation in the brick honest and interesting. The floor of the passageway was lined with stone pavers matching the streets above. At times the scale of this space is a little awkward because of the different level changes and window head heights. Overall, these scale issues add to the uniqueness of the space.

I feel as if I am an explorer as I try to find my way from front two back as well as up and down this space. You encounter studios, restaurants, shops and offices along the way. There are views and vistas all around this space, defined by the openings, plantings, stairs, as well as little nooks and crannies encountered along the way. Some of these vistas are into the passageway while some are outward to art studios, through shops to the street or directly to the street above the entrance.

The windows have been removed and the openings reworked to provide openings into the adjacent buildings where old storefronts have been added to create a path around the passageway to access the different spaces in the adjacent buildings. This path starts to blur the lines of the spaces within the two buildings and the passageway. Some of these entrances are the back entrances to stores in the market allowing access into the passageway from other locations (see traffic patterns below).There are some spaces where this loop as been interrupted for adjacent dining restaurants. This creates some dead ends requiring you to backtrack as exploring this urban jungle. The two adjacent building are both exposed timber construction.

Some of the nooks and crannies provide glimpses into the space a warm and appealing experience. This photo is on the top floor looking into the passageway.

The roof structure is constructed of wood framing and has a transparent covering which diffuses the light and reduces glare. Overall this space is rich with history, texture, nature (not just plants but bird also). As well as and inviting place to shop and dine. I enjoy coming here in the winter because it brings the exterior to the interior.