This 1954 food market is located in Villanueva de la Serena‘s Paseo de San Francisco, which is one of the main axes of the town center. A competition for remodelling the building allowed us to propose a sustainable way of preserving the traditional food market. In addition, it also enabled us to expand the programming of this space with areas dedicated to gastronomy and contemporary culture.

 

The main element of the exterior design is a white perforated metal façade that unifies the appearance of the building. Located at the first floor and roof level, it creates a play of transparencies that filters the image of the sky and allows an efficient climatic behavior.

In the building, each of the floors makes possible a different program. The traditional market is located at street level. The surrounding streets are connected to the building by a large entrance. It links two plazas, the Ermita de San Francisco plaza and the one we propose inside the market. This interior square is a large open space that articulates the entire building. It is closed at the top by a skylight that floods the entire space with light.

The permeability between the exterior and the building is enhanced by the opening of stalls with direct service to the street. Thus, the facades of the building are filled with life.

The indoor plaza is a large open space that floods the building with light and connects it to the urban fabric.

 

 

Above street level, new activities are proposed for the building. On the second floor, a new space dedicated to new gastronomic experiences and social events is created. This level is equipped with an industrial kitchen and a bar to serve the public. There is also a differentiated multipurpose space for educational activities or presentations to the public and a coworking area. Next to these, a large space available for all kinds of activities is characterized by fluidity and continuity. It flows in the center towards the central plaza at the lower level.

On the second floor, the skylight emerges as a volume around which a large rooftop terrace appears. On it is located a canteen, and a large open space that allows enjoying the views. The rooftop is a great place to hold film screenings, celebrations or concerts, regardless of the market’s opening hours thanks to its independent access.

The proposal is based on the conservation of the structure and floor slabs of the existing building, and the recovery of the original double height. In this way, the updating of the building coexists with the sustainability implied by the maintenance of its skeleton. On the ground floor, the plaza becomes the heart of the building, connected to the urban fabric. On the roof, a new space is generated for the neighborhood, isolated from the street but open to the panoramic views of Villanueva de la Serena.