Buying fresh fruit does not have to become a routine action, at least, that’s what the creators of this impressive and unique market in Holland seem to have thought!!
Imagine that you have a privileged space to create an iconic building. What would be your preferences? Would you make something artistic in an antique way, chiseled by the hands of artists with a classic touch? Would you resort to ambiguity and versatility to surprise users and visitors? Would you use opulence as a means of disruption? No matter what you did, any of these actions would be positive. Everything adds up in the world of architecture.
The horseshoe-shaped market in Rotterdam
What if I told you that there is a market in Rotterdam, Netherlands, that meets all of these requirements? Since its inauguration in 2014, it has been an icon of the city and has enhanced the qualities of the space in which it was installed, none other than the historic center of Laurenskwartier. Exactly the same place where the famous Cube Houses (Kubuswoning) by architect Piet Blom are located.
It is called The Markthal and, according to the promoters Provast Nederland bv, it has 8 million visitors a year, which is about 20,000 people a day, an outrage that the owners can be proud of. The investment was around 175 million euros, money that was used to create this fabulous horseshoe-shaped building.
A market, apartment block and parking
The building is the first covered fresh produce market not only in Rotterdam but also in the Netherlands, and also has other functions. It has several restaurants, 228 rental apartments, including 24 penthouses that have unique views of the city center, and underground parking for 1,200 vehicles. That is, it is a building with four uses: commerce, restaurants, housing and parking.
Well, rather, the property has five uses, since the spectacular design gives way to an interior ceiling that deserved an equally spectacular finish. Artists Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam created The Horn of Plenty, an incredible 11,000 square meter piece of art, visible on the ceiling/walls of the market. But this is not all, and during the execution of the works archaeological remains were found that are now exhibited on the stairs and parking lots of the Markthal.
Rotterdam market has 100 stalls selling local and foreign products
The architects of the space, the MVRDV studio, implemented several actions in the building that have taken it to the pages of the most prestigious architecture magazines. The construction generated 95,000 square meters of surface, of which a significant part is allocated to public space, generating a very beneficial private-public synergy for everyone.
The market has 96 stalls, according to the architects, and 100 according to the promoters, where you can find all kinds of fresh local and foreign products. The square has entrances on both sides of the building, with two glass walls of astonishing dimensions.
The entire building has a gray stone finish
The building reaches 40 meters high, and to carry out the work of Coenen and Iris they had a technological ally. Pixar Animation Studios rendered the image with its software, ready to print on the perforated aluminum panels that were placed as a mural, behind the aluminum, acoustic material, which prevents the unwanted transmission of noise and echo generated by the use of this covered plaza. .
The rest of the building has a gray stone finish, both on the façade and the market floor. The application of these grays only highlights the colorful interior of the vault. The mixed structure, made of reinforced concrete and structural steel, arises from the swampy bottom. This was carried out using retaining walls and underwater divers, who poured concrete into the deepest part for 72 hours.
The apartments have views of the market
The construction, 70 meters wide and 120 meters long, only has apartments on the outside, never on the inside, providing views to all of them. These range from 80 to 300 square meters. Thus, the living rooms and bedrooms face the facades, and the kitchens, dining rooms and storage rooms face the interior, with views of the market through triple-glazed windows.
However, the greatest attraction of this building is twofold: the glass facades of the interior plaza generate a lot of curiosity. They are thin sheets of glass of large proportions that flank both sides of the property. Yes, the mesh that holds the glass is made with a network of steel cables, like rackets, supporting nothing more and nothing less than 2,800 square meters of glass on each façade. Makes you want to make one at home, right?