ARCHITECTURAL FOCUS
MERCADO IN GRONINGEN IS COMPLETED
A FUTURE-PROOF MEETING PLACE WITH SUSTAINABLE APARTMENTS BRINGS NEW LIFE TO GRONINGEN ’ S CITY CENTRE
With the completion of Mercado and the redevelopment of Rode Weeshuisstraat , Groningen city centre ’ s north side gets a new boost . The building , together with the new Stalplein next to it , embodies an urban transformation geared towards pedestrians and encounters . The design of Mercado and the urban plan for Rode Weeshuisstraat were created by the architectural collaboration of De Zwarte Hond and Loer Architecten on behalf of developers MWPO and Beauvast . Mercado features a monumental plinth with 41 sustainable apartments above it , built by Plegt-Vos .
Revitalizing the city centre ’ s north side In the new urban development plan , Rode Weeshuisstraat is no longer the back of Grote Markt but the front of the city centre ’ s north side . In addition , cars will give way to pedestrians and Mercado – replacing a former V & D department-store warehouse – creates space for a new city square with a more compact footprint . The redesign of the street is combined with a generous 6-metre-high transparent plinth , which , together with the new square , creates a meeting place .
In terms of scale , Mercado forms the link between Grote Markt and Rode Weeshuisstraat . The buildings on Grote Markt are of a larger scale than those on the north side of Rode Weeshuisstraat , including the Weeshuis ( orphanage ) itself . Mercado combines these scales in its stepped volume , which is high where possible and lower where necessary . The result is a building that fits perfectly into the city centre in terms of scale yet has its own identity . Craft and character Mercado ’ s facade is made from ceramic elements . In close collaboration with ceramic manufacturer NBK and facade builder Bijlbouw , samples and mock-ups were used to find the perfect blue-green glaze for the facade with its custom-made details . Thanks to this glaze , the building appears a different colour in every type of weather , and a layering of colour
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