New York-based Skanska USA Commercial Development has revealed plans for the food hall in downtown Houston’s upcoming Capitol Tower.
Dubbed Understory, the 35,000-square-foot project inside Capitol Tower's two-story atrium will house a full-service restaurant, seven chef-driven market concepts and a cocktail bar at 800 Capitol St., according to the press release. Plans also call for retail shopping and cultural programing.
Designed by Austin-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, Understory will feature open-cooking concepts with high-end finishes such as copper-clad kitchen hoods, wood butcher block countertops and white marble, per the release. Additionally, murals will don the walls.
Skanska said Understory — named after the space between a forest canopy and the underbrush — will operate seven days a week from morning to night and offer other cultural programs, which is unlike many other tunnels markets in the downtown area, per the release. Houston Business Journal reached out for more information regarding restaurant and retail tenants and programs, but a spokesperson wasn’t immediately available.
When finished in 2019, Understory will have five points of tunnel access as well as street access thanks to a 30-foot-wide staircase, called Great Steps, which will include a hanging art installation so large that it will be visible from three streets, per the release. Other features of Understory include WiFi, mobile device charging stations, games and a fitness center for the building's tenants.
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