MATACHE HALL              

Over time, the inhabitants of Bucharest have been trying to perpetuate certain customs by adapting them to the present. The old maidan grounds of the city have gradually become marketplaces. This confirms the constant need of the community to permanently be in touch, socialize and bargain. Therefore, the marketplaces aggregate cores for several neighborhoods where the inhabitants can meet.

The Matache marketplace has evolved at the crossroads between Griviţei and Buzeşti in the second half of the 19th century, replacing an old maidan fair on the outskirts of the historic town. The name of the marketplace comes from Matache the Butcher, the main merchant of that time. Later, the Matache market hall was built and became a landmark for the whole neighborhoods. In time, several other buildings that were added defined the marketplace as it is today. In 2012, the main shed – an important historic monument– was illegally demolished as part of the enlargement project of the Buzeşti Avenue, which led to the marketplace to fall apart.

To reunite the remaining fragments, we designed a grid of dendriform pillars that function as an infrastructure for the void left by the demolition; they can host mobile containers that serve for a variety of sellers and needs.