Mercabarna inaugurated the new building for Mercabarna-Flor, an innovative market for wholesale of flowers, plants and accessories. The market aims to become one of the most important in Catalonia and the rest of Spain and a benchmark in terms of facilities in Europe.
The main element of the architecture is the folded cover of the new market. It is a combination of folds between the floor, wall and ceiling, dissolving these elements to form access, loading and unloading zones or protected areas around the perimeter of the building. Analogy with a shell gives an organic character consistent with the activity and movement that unfolds within it.
If the cover is the great integrator of the market, inside the architects develop three conceptually distinct markets, each with its specific and technical and logistical constraints, depending on the product for sale.
One part will be the market of cut flowers with a modern cooling systems.At the other side a plant market takes place, designed with underfloor heating systems, it is one of the largest in Europe with 4000m2, and refrigeration systems passive introduction of moisture, which guarantees the temperatures to be never below 15Co, or superior to 26Co. This means that besides being a sales sector, is also a storage area or greenhouse during this period.
Finally between of these two parts a supplement market is organized, a sector particularly sensitive because of their high risk of fire, because it works with products such as dried flowers, and a significant storage. This sector has been especially designed to detect and prevent fire, considering the sad experience of the market's past with its fire and destruction in 2001.
The complex also includes 500 parking spaces, loading and unloading area, a restaurant will hopely become a benchmark of Castelldefels highway, an office area and two floral schools, and a multifunctionalspace event.