- Principal Architect – Mark Hilles, AIA
- Project Architect – Trevor Broughton
- 13,464 SF
- Current Phase: Design Development
As Ogden City continues to roll out its monumental plans for its downtown masterplan, the Wonderblock District stands out as its first key implementation of the project. The district’s name derives from a recollection of the Wonderbread factory that enveloped the majority of repurposed block for more than half of a decade. However, this block off of 24th and Grant has more history than just a factory for a popular baked goods company. At the start of the 20th century, John Brown opened and ran a successful ice cream company at this site. Famous for their Delicia Ice Cream and Eskimo Pies, Brown’s Ice Cream Company was a community staple known widely around town. Nearly three-quarters of a century later, the only building that remains holding a piece of this history is the old Brown’s Ice Cream Building at 2557 Grant Ave. When MWA was asked to envision the rehabilitation and incorporation of this building into the new Wonderblock District, it was important to us to ensure the building would serve as a reminder of the deep history rooted in the area. Recalling Brown’s old logo on the building facade, incorporating neon tube lights present on the building’s columns in the thirties, and exhibiting old ads and signage of the company on acrylic panels all work together to tie back to its previous history. An outdoor patio area shaded by kinesthetic shading lapendaries as well as vegetated green walls screen outdoor users from the parking garage drive aisle. A subtle checkerboard pattern throughout building details and exterior applications unifies both spaces creating a seamless transition between inside and out, and historic yet contemporary.