Floating Market

Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseno, Córdoba

Project idea

The project starts from the challenge of designing a floating market for the year 2400. For this, the main objective was the reinterpretation of a market place, highlighting its quality of public space, crucial for social life.

Project description

The building arises from the concept of a square-market, understanding that the street market is not only a space to stock up on food, but also a space for social interaction, essential for community life. Based on this concept, the market is configured as a floating platform under a large inflatable roof that not only protects it from the sun and rain, but also becomes an element of identity that distinguishes it from its context.
Twelve shops are distributed on this platform, accompanied by a nucleus with restroom and various spaces for staying and resting, equipped with urban furniture and vegetation, which do so in a large public space.
From a sustainable approach, the building that works 100% with solar energy, uses recycled plastics and light structures, which can be disassembled and reused. This makes it a dynamic and adaptable building for the world in 2400

Technical information

The building has a platform made up of recycled plastic barrels, which allow it to float, generating a slope that protects it from ocean waves. The rest of the structure is made up of steel profiles, lightweight elements that can be easily disassembled and reused. The roof is made up of four large inflatable volumes built with recycled Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). This material allows to generate a light roof that protects the building from the sun and rain