–Out of a chaos into an architectural dream
The foul smell of the Asian markets is usually surpassed only by their ugly appearance. If someone would stay long enough in one of them, they will for sure break under the terrible smell of vegetables and fruit gone bad, not to speak about the mess and the fuss the meat prepared there generates.
This is why Samoo Architects & Engineers went into the design competition for reconfiguring Garak Wholesale Market from Seoul and transforming into a place of green, healthy living, organized and operating like a Swiss watch following every concept of sustainable living and architecture.
Initially the market spread over 543,451 sq m and the commerce activity of selling fruit, vegetables, meat and sea capture was spread randomly across the whole area.
The new project plans to develop a new way of organizing things separating wholesale from retail and introducing a network of alleys filled with vegetation, a roof able to host sports activities and a complete repositioning of the sales sectors so the activity will be cost effective.
The target is also to focus on increasing hygiene, the quality of food processing and packing on a large scale and thus creating a positive impact over the environment and social responsibility.
Samoo kept in mind that the Garak Wholesale Market is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Seoul so elements of Korean tradition like museums and places where the tourists may taste traditional food will be spread all over the future complex.
[Click on the images for the larger view.]
Source: WAN
