The Historic Roanoke City Market Building anchors Market Square in downtown Roanoke, Virginia. Its surroundings include the historic Hotel Roanoke, the modern Taubman Art Museum, and Center in the Square, which houses a theater, history museum, and a planetarium. In addition to the market building itself, other produce and fresh product vendors line Market Street and contribute daily to an active street life. The building that stands today was originally constructed in 1922, on the site of an earlier market building. As the meat and produce trades changed, the Market Building was renovated in 1985 and adapted into an International Food Court. Roanoke has experienced a considerable renaissance over the past decade as residential development, a new art museum, new shops, restaurants, and nightlife have moved into the downtown area. Studies of the Market Area began in 2004 and in early 2009, Cunningham | Quill Architects was engaged to develop concepts to meet the needs of the new daytime and nighttime activity in downtown Roanoke. One of the primary design concepts is to improve transparency and connection from the inside to the outside of the market. Cunningham | Quill has proposed that vendor spaces include exterior entries as well as connections to the interior of the Market. The center of the Market will be opened, allowing visual connection to active retail space inside. An existing third floor assembly hall will be renovated and continue to provide a needed community space.