This urban grocery store is located in City Creek, a sustainably designed, walkable mixed-use community encompassing three blocks in the core of downtown Salt Lake City. The new development provides an additional 800 residential units, 500,000 square feet of retail, and approximately 2.1 million square feet of commercial space. Harmons is a vital part of the rebirth of the downtown and a critical resource to support Salt Lake City’s commitment to increased urban density and long-term sustainability.

Harmons takes advantage of its sloped site to create two entrances, in turn activating multiple streetscapes and transforming the typical suburban grocery store model into a compact, double-level shopping experience. Along one side, a 30-foot-high wall of glass provides pedestrians the opportunity to visually engage the depth of the store, while on another side, a graphic yellow staircase connecting parking and two store levels engages the street.

Harmons ushers in a new level of Salt Lake City modernism. The project transforms the traditional Harmons red-brick style through a modest material palette of industrial exit stairs, fluid-applied traffic coating, and corrugated metal panel screens. Glass, brightly colored stairs, and perforated metal screens combine in a project of simple, refined geometries to create an urban art piece.