Pullman Market / Clayton Korte

Architects: Clayton Korte
Area: 53,979 ft²
Year: 2024
Photography: Casey Dunn, Korta Photography
Construction: Joeris General Contractors
Interior Design: Joel Mozersky Design
Experience Design: Wendy Smith, Creative Director
Landscape Architect: Word + Carr Design Group
Structural: Lundy and Franke Engineering
MEP and Lighting: Glumac
Civil: Pape Dawson Engineers
Owner: Pullman Market LLC, The Historic Pearl
Operator: Emmer and Rye Hospitality Group
Management: Oxbow Development, Pearl
City: San Antonio, Texas
Country: USA

Pullman Market, a food hall designed by Clayton Korte in San Antonio’s Historic Pearl District, transforms the 53,979-square-foot Samuels Glass building through adaptive reuse completed in April 2024. The project retains original materials while integrating sustainable upgrades and spatial interventions. Led by architect Sam Manning, AIA, with interiors by Joel Mozersky and experience design by Wendy Smith, the market highlights over 150 local producers, blending architectural heritage with a multisensory environment shaped by culinary craft and regional identity.

Pullman Market occupies the former Samuel’s Glass building in San Antonio’s Pearl District, where Clayton Korte has adapted its 53,979 square feet into a food hall centered on Texas’s culinary traditions. Completed in April 2024, the project preserves the existing shell and structure, reducing demolition waste and emphasizing the building’s material legacy. Through new courtyards, updated performance systems, and contextual design strategies, the market integrates historic elements with functional enhancements that support a diverse, experience-focused program.

The project maintains key original finishes, including clay tile and polished concrete floors, while introducing new elements that enhance energy performance and visitor comfort. Low-emissivity insulated windows and roof insulation upgrades improve thermal efficiency without compromising the structure’s historic character. Courtyards formed by infill between structural bays bring daylight into the deep floor plan and connect seamlessly with the surrounding pedestrian experience of the Pearl District.

Architect Sam Manning, AIA, led the architectural team, supported by Stephen Williams, Amy Smith, and Michael Maddox. The spatial design responds to the building’s irregular form. As Manning noted, “It starts to get weird and funky in some places, so we tried to react to that.” Double-height entry volumes act as anchors for orientation and emphasize key points of arrival and gathering. Interior environments were further shaped by Creative Director Wendy Smith and interior designer Joel Mozersky, who collaborated closely with the design team and culinary operators.

The result is a layered sensory experience that showcases the textures, sounds, and visual rhythms of working kitchens and food preparation. Indoor plantings, crafted material transitions, custom lighting, and strategic branding define a series of interior zones, each with a distinct atmosphere. The design aims to mirror the scale and richness of Texas’s land and food culture.

More than 150 vendors, all located within 100 miles of the site, contributed to the formation of their workspaces. According to Manning, “Each artisan had a hand in shaping the space, with the owner’s chefs, department managers, and bar managers working closely with the design team to display, front and center, the process each artisan undergoes for their craft.” The building’s plan was developed to prioritize openness and transparency, allowing visitors to witness and engage with the process of making as an integral part of the experience.

Pullman Market serves as both a functional commercial venue and a cultural platform. By uniting adaptive reuse, regional sourcing, and craft-centered design, the project reinforces a sense of place while honoring Texas’s foodways. Through architectural preservation and collaborative programming, the market becomes a space where community, history, and culinary practice intersect.