Markthal covert market by Paul Arps used under CC BY 2.0/Faces blurred from original
This week’s crazy building is the Market Hall in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Designed by legendary architecture firm MVRDV, it was completed in 2014 at a cost of $200 million.
As the name suggests, this ridiculous building contains a huge market running down the center with a lattice of glass windows at either end. All along the walls and ceiling is an immense digital mural that ranks as one of the largest pieces of art ever made. Called Horn of Plenty, the 118,000 square foot mural depicts a colorful scene filled with plants and animals.
The other thing that makes this building amazing is its 228 apartments. They make up the walls and even the ceiling of the market, forming a vast horseshoe shape around it. It also boasts a 4-story underground parking garage, the city’s largest with room for over 1,200 cars.
And just to top it off, Market Hall was opened by the Queen of the Netherlands. That’s how you know it’s a big deal!
Just across the water is De Rotterdam, a massive “vertical city” that resembles a game of Tetris gone awry. You can see that post by clicking here.
