Mercado del Carmen

architect

Mercado del Carmen - architect : Joaquín Aramburu Maqua van Árgola Arquitectos

The free-standing nature of the building site, its central location near the city's old quarter and the new "Ensanche Sur" (South urban expansion area) allow for the construction of four façades of similar sizes that will lend the appropriate urban appearance to the facility.

Each one of these façades plays a differentiated role. Three have accesses open to the public; only the fourth lacks them. The roofs and the canopy, clearly visible from the built-up environment, comprise a fifth "façade".

The two volumes have an imposing presence capable of creating a landmark of great formal impact. The sales space is conceived as a spacious covered courtyard open to the outside.

The singular roof of the market ties in with the eight-story parking facility volume which, on that side, displays a large abstract mural of high plastic effectiveness. The north side of this second body, which faces the old city, is conceived as the main façade.