The Building
The Markthal, which is the first covered market in the Netherlands, is a place where good food and unique housing are harmoniously combined in a spectacular arch. This iconic fresh market opened for business on 1 October 2014, after five years of construction.
Why was the Markthal built?
New European regulations set stricter requirements on selling produce such as fish, meat and cheese in the open air. In Rotterdam, this moment was seen as an opportunity, and on 19 November 2009 work began on a highly ambitious project: a fresh food market, the like of which the world had never seen.
“Met de Markthal maken we stad, het is een icoon. Maar als je erin staat, ervaar je vooral ruimte. Dat is de kunst: er is tegelijk zijn en niet zijn. Een prachtige paradox.”
- Winy Maas, MVRDV Architect van de Markthal
Past and future within one arch
The distinctive arch of the Markthal was built brick by brick near to the Rotte River, the very place where Rotterdam was founded in the year 1270. During construction, all sorts of medieval objects were found, from vases and tools to numerous cannonballs. These objects can currently be seen from the escalators in the Markthal and in the car park.
The biggest piece of art
in The Netherlands
The unusual shape of the building has certainly caught the public’s imagination, but the interior is also a delight. This where artist Arno Coenen created the Horn of Plenty, the biggest work of art in the world. Its bright colours cover an area of 11,000 m2, resulting in this creation now being known as Rotterdam’s very own Sistine Chapel.
11.000 Sqm of vibrant colours
“It’s like lying on your back in the grass in the summer, and seeing everything around you. The sky, the clouds, and the sun as the source of all life.”
Designed by Arno Coenen, Ad.nl
Quotes adn
Publications
About the building
Already being referred to as the ‘Sistine Chapel of Rotterdam’, horn of plenty spans the entire interior of the indoor merket de Markthal, set to open its doors on October 1st.
Vice, The Creatiers Project
Come October, the massive arch of the Markthal, whose interior displays 3D food photographs, becomes the country’s first indoor foodhall.
New York Times
10 Eye-popping new buildings that you’ll see in 2014
CNN
