The Woven Canal Market

Lockport’s history, deeply rooted in the Erie Canal’s industrial legacy, inspires a modern homage to its heritage. The canal, crucial for its low-cost power and transportation, fostered a boom in lumber trade, leading to the construction of numerous framed houses between 1850 and the early 1900s. A prominent site in Lockport was the Niagara Textile factory, once a vital economic hub producing towels and fine linens for NYS Rail sleeper trains. Though destroyed by fire and demolished in 1965, remnants like an old loading ramp near the canal remain. The design for a new farmers market honors this history by integrating concepts from the factory and its weaving machinery, such as Jacquard and Dobby Looms. Inspired by textile patterns and aerial site photos, the grid-based layout uses black squares for transactional spaces and white for circulation. The factory’s original dimensions serve as a framework, with standard lumber sizes shaping the grid. Employing balloon framing tectonics, the market’s floors are staggered, mimicking a woven effect, symbolizing the fabric of Lockport’s past. This farmers market aims to revive economic activity, bridging the site’s historic industrial roots with its present community needs.

Professor: Tiffany Xu
Collaborator: Mason Murtha