Abbott Square | Museum of Art & History
Santa Cruz, California
Savor Life Together
Abbott Square and the Market, in the heart of Downtown Santa Cruz, is an eight-tenant public market and community gathering space within the historic County jail building property. The project, attached to the Museum of Art and History, features six food establishments, two bars, outdoor performance areas, indoor/outdoor seating, and public art integrated to create a dynamic, family-friendly experience.
The complex project consisted of a variety of stakeholders: the County of Santa Cruz (property owners), The Museum of Art and History (non-profit building leaseholder), Community donors, and the private developer and leaseholder of the market and the individual tenants; With a shared goal of creating a successful dynamic community gathering space. Our firm provided full architectural and interior services for the developer and tenants, including custom furniture, lighting, signage, and branding integration; exterior and facade design; public art design and installation.
At Nielsen Studios, we are passionate about community-based design projects. We love walking by Abbott Square Market and seeing the community gather in what used to be an underutilized part of downtown Santa Cruz.
Visit them next time you’re in town!
The Abbott Square and Abbott Square Market project was made possible through collaboration with numerous local partners, leading to a remarkable transformation. We are honored to have been selected as the firm to play a part in revitalizing this section of the city.
Builders:
• Cianciarulo & Dueck
Key Updates:
• Exterior improvements
• Accessibility upgrades
• Interior design
• Custom light fixtures
