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LENORA LI
Culinary Education Center
Learning, Dinning, and Community
The project began with a precedent study exploring dining environments from around the world. Our team selected Alvar Aalto's Paimio Sanatorium as the primary case study, focusing on the relationship between circulation, structure, materiality, and interior atmosphere. To better understand these qualities, we constructed a detailed interior physical model that revealed how light, material, and proportion shape the spatial experience.
Individual Work Spring 2024
Dinning Hall Interior Model 1'=1/4"
Collaboration with Rosie Finglass
Case Study:
Paimio Sanatorium-Alvar Aalto
Process of Modeling
Building on these observations, the project shifted from precedent research to the analysis of a real urban context—Soulard Farmer‘s Market in St. Louis.
Located just south of downtown St. Louis, Soulard Market is one of the oldest continuously operating public markets in the United States. Since its establishment in 1779, it has remained a vital center for food, commerce, and community life.
Source: Missouri History Museum. Eighth Street: Soulard Market with Crowds. Photograph by William G. Swekosky, 1910.
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Centuries later, Soulard Market continues to function as a vibrant public marketplace, preserving its historic role as a center for public life.
Source: Paul Sableman. Busy Saturday Morning @ Soulard Market, 2011 (CC BY 2.0).
A Cold Winter Site Visit
Photograph by Lenora Li, 2024.
The winter market was quiet and nearly empty, emphasizing its open, linear spatial character.
Photograph by Lenora Li, 2024.
As the weather warmed, the market came alive with vendors offering fresh fruits, vegetables, and local produce, revealing its vibrant role as a community gathering place.
Photograph by Lenora Li, 2024.
The project site is an existing surface parking lot adjacent to Soulard Market. Although it serves an important function for market visitors, its central location within the market district presents an opportunity to accommodate parking more efficiently while reclaiming the surface as a public space.
Photograph by Lenora Li, 2024.
Program Strategy
A former shoe factory has been adaptively reused as loft apartments, while new residential developments continue to bring more residents into the neighborhood, establishing an active and growing community around the market.
Located between Soulard Market and the surrounding housing, the project site occupies a strategic position that can strengthen connections between daily market activities and neighborhood life.
The proposal organizes public programs—including a restaurant, culinary school, food bank, and shared community spaces—around a central courtyard, transforming the site into a year-round destination that extends the civic role of Soulard Market.
Vertical Landmark
The tower organizes classrooms, shared community spaces, and student residences within a single vertical structure. Rising above the surrounding neighborhood, it establishes a new landmark for Soulard and culminates in a rooftop bar overlooking the Gateway Arch and the St. Louis skyline.
Environmental & Material Strategies
Photovoltaic louvers screen the southeast-facing façade, reducing solar gain while buffering traffic and directing views toward the central courtyard. Operable windows and a Canadian well system support passive cooling and natural ventilation, improving thermal comfort and reducing energy demand. Locally sourced red brick, a material deeply rooted in St. Louis's architectural heritage and historic brick industry, reinforces the building's connection to its context while providing durability.
Process of Model Making
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