Inca Public Market
The demolition of the old market building has offered the opportunity to rediscover a new public space in the heart of the city of Inca, just a few metres away from the Main Street and the Town Hall.
The proposal tries to obtain the maximum possible amount of public space while accommodating the different requirements of a varied programme: car park, supermarket, retail shops, council offices and public market. A public space that aims at supporting the present and future activities of this place.
The car park and the supermarket are located underground, while the rest of the required programme rises from the ground reaching its maximum height with the council offices.
Beginning at one end of the site, the wooden paving detaches itself from the ground in order to cover the entrance to the car park. This wooden strip continues as a kind of pergola that runs parallel to the street, wrapping the main public space of the square, before transforming itself once again –unfolding into three sloped planes– to become the roof of the market. A final horizontal stretch covers the building containing the retail spaces and the council offices. This strip will become the main element of continuity throughout the project and reflects upon the surface the hidden structural bays of the car park beneath.
The market is understood as a covered plaza that is continuous with the public space surrounding it. The folds of the market roof allow for the natural light and ventilation desired.