Farmers Market LAX

The historic Farmers Market at Third Street and Fairfax Avenue has been a vital community meeting place for young and old since it began in 1934 as a collection of produce stands in a parking lot next to the old Gilmore Adobe. Its casual, congenial atmosphere is part of the collective memory of Los Angeles and many thousands of Angelenos’ daily lives. Its eclectic character is built by hundreds of small design decisions made by dozens of shopkeepers laid down, erased, and overlaid again and again over the years. Our design challenge was to capture this accretive energy and character in one design at one time by one design team. 

We divided the plan into three distinct layers: a front porch to welcome travelers into the space; a marketplace with custom-designed displays to showcase the diverse brands of the original Farmers Market; and a dining area furnished with custom chairs and tables inspired by the originals. The front porch is flanked by a large-format live-feed video from Third and Fairfax and a bas-relief of the Farmers Market iconic clock tower. A produce market and local brand coffee bar bookend the marketplace, and Monsieur Marcel French delicatessen and Lotería Bar and Grill frame the seating area.

We interpreted the humble, matter-of-fact finishes at the original Farmers Market into a palette of high-quality, precisely detailed materials suitable for a busy modern airport. We orchestrated signage, product display, branding elements and lighting to create clear sight lines and visual energy without visual clutter. CSA developed the entire graphic, branding, and merchandising concept for this project.