Revolutionizing Traditional Markets: MVRDV's Tainan Concept

MVRDV, the renowned Dutch architecture firm, has completed the construction of a new open-air wholesale market for fruit and vegetables in Tainan, Taiwan. The market not only serves as a crucial hub for Tainan's food supply chain, but it also provides a space for visitors to meet, socialize, and take in views of the surrounding landscape from the building's accessible roof. The design of the market represents an ambitious architectural experiment that reinvents the traditional typology of a wholesale market, transforming it into a combination of a market and a public green space.

The Tainan Market is located on the eastern side of the city, between the mountains and the farmland, making it easily accessible from both the city and the surrounding areas. The market's proximity to Highway 3 and public transport links makes it convenient for traders, buyers, and visitors alike.

The design of the market is a simple open structure with an undulating green roof that mimics the rolling hills of the surrounding landscape. The roof is accessible to visitors via a series of terraces planted with colourful flowers and plants, creating an elevated platform from which to appreciate the landscape. On one side of the market, a four-storey structure houses the administrative offices and an exhibition centre, where agricultural products from the region can be displayed. This structure punctures the main building, providing secondary access to the roof.

The Tainan Market is an architectural masterpiece that elevates the often-prosaic part of the food industry into a place for the public to experience food and appreciate views of the landscape. The building's unique design takes an open-air market, a building type that is usually housed in simple metal sheds, and turns it into a mixture of a market and a public green space. In the future, the roof can be further developed, with the possibility to grow fruit and vegetables on top of the structure, making it not only a hub for the food supply chain but also a destination for tourists.

Overall, MVRDV's Tainan Market is a unique and innovative architectural experiment that redefines the traditional typology of a wholesale market, transforming it into a public space that promotes socializing, tourism, and appreciation of the natural landscape.

MVRDV, the Dutch architecture firm, has recently completed the Tainan Market in Taiwan, a stunning example of a modern open-air market. The market space is simple yet highly functional, with an open structure on all sides and high undulating ceilings that allow for natural ventilation. This design, combined with the temperature-modulating effect of the earth and plants on the roof, creates a passively cooled building that remains comfortable even in Taiwan’s warm summers.

The roof of the market features a park with grass and patches of flowers, providing a relaxing atmosphere for shoppers and visitors. However, the original design proposed to grow crops instead, which would turn the roof into an educational farm. This would provide an opportunity for visiting schoolchildren to learn about food production and supply chain management.

Tainan Market is MVRDV's second project to be completed in Taiwan, following the Tainan Spring, which strategically demolished a shopping centre to create a new public square with a lagoon. The firm's design for Sun Rock, a warehouse and repair workshop for an energy company completely covered in solar panels, is soon to start construction on the coast in Changhua. MVRDV has also won a competition for the dramatic redesign of a town's water infrastructure in Huwei.

MVRDV's Tainan Market is a fantastic example of a modern open-air market that is not only functional but also sustainable. With its innovative design and potential for future educational opportunities, the market is sure to become a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

Architects: MVRDV

Area: 12331 m²

Year: 2022

Photographs: Shephotoerd

Landscape Architects: The Urbanists Collaborative

Structural Engineers: Columbus Engineering Consultants Inc.

MEP: FRONTIER TECH INSTITUTE CO., LTD