Market and Casablanca. We began with a simpleexercise, utilizing associative words, gathering inspirations and ideas wedefined the project and its aim. Plenty of images come directly to themind: colors, smells, people, twilight, getting lost, magical atmospheres,flying carpets… After much discussion, we decided to propose a “magic”cover, a transformative cap to the utilitarian every-day market.
The first step was to design a pattern inspired by theMoroccan flag's star, multiplied to create a “Moucharabieh” design, it isthe genesis of all of the market’s elements. Visible on the polished greyconcrete floor and materialized in the stainless steel joints, it is thedrawings’ source of programmatic organization. The design, a structuralnetwork, levitates over the market utilizing a suspension system oftwenty-three colorful Helium balloons. A white translucent canvas sheet, ourversion of a flying carpet, moves with the balloons creating a versatile andphenomenological market atmosphere for the users below. Responding to thesustainable character of the market, the structural elements are used tocollect, treat, and redistribute water. These structural high and lowpoints are spread organically throughout the floor plan. After a coffee or newsbreak in the central social area the market-goers can shop. Each stall isoriented to the omnipresent star pattern. Each shopkeeper can sell his/herwares from wooden boards mounted to metal trestles, allowing for flexible setupand selling. This allows the space to be utilized for other programmaticfunctions after the market’s close.
Florent CHAGNY+ Soufia LOUZIR + Thomas SPONTI + Florian CHAZEAU
