Encants Market

The new Encants market is a public facility dedicated to the sale of second-hand products, auctions and second-hand goods. The building replaces an old infrastructure, degraded and insufficient, and is installed in a new location next to the Plaza de les Glòries as a mediation between the reform of the square, its built environment and the axis of Avenida Meridiana, one of the main access roads to the city.

The proposal is based on the desire for continuity with the adjacent public space, with a clear vocation to create an outdoor market in the style of traditional street markets. The folding of the “street” reconciles the different perimeter heights and blurs, throughout the interior of the market, the perception of the ground floor, folding to convert its floor into an uninterrupted sequence of stops along a promenade that eliminates architectural barriers, with the aim of encouraging the adaptability and attractiveness of commercial exchanges.

The roof is the recognizable element, a large canopy open on all sides. Its geometry and lower surface, like a large golden mirror, extends to the limits of the perimeter sidewalks, protecting the commercial activities, while announcing the presence of the market in the city and multiplying the bustle of its daily life in the kaleidoscopic reflections of its roof.