ALBA BALMASEDA
Architect

MARKET HALL

´[lòg-gia] s.f. (pl. -ge)
1 arch. Edificio con uno o più lati aperti in arcate, destinato in origine ad accogliere il mercato o le riunioni delle diverse corporazioni; estens. galleria dei piani superiori, con colonnati o arcate, che si affaccia su un cortile.´

Avila is a small town near Madrid included in the list of World Heritage Sites. It is well-known because of its walls and Romanesque churches. In the centre of the oldtown, inside the walls and near the Main Square, a Market Hall by the architect José María Repullés was built in 1893. The original project was an elegant light and permeable structure in iron, brick and glass. As the Market had a huge success the project was adapted in different occasions becoming more and more heavy and close concrete structure disjointed from the public space.

The objective of this renovation is to give back to Ávila and its citizens a ‘Plaza de Abastos’. This means to transform the actual structure into an open big market hall, which as a ‘Plaza’, works as a gathering and welcoming space.

The principal strategy is to preserve the typological characteristic objects and recuperate as much as possible the original idea of the project guarantying the current requirements of habitability, functionality and accessibility.

The ground and first floor condensed the program in particular areas liberating the perimetral and central space. There are three sets of stairs that allow the use of the building at different frames of time and four patios that vertically connect the two floors. On the roof, three skylights are opened in connection with the patios to illuminate the central body. The basement is completely reorganised to respond to the current demands of the market hall services and facilities.

The image of the new Market Hall highlights the granite base, which is the only vestige from the original 1893’s project. The existing superior structure is alleviated by eliminating the upper gallery and increasing the dimensions of the existing windows. In this way the intervention brings back the original idea of an in-between realm, a permeable ‘loggia’, towards the urban space

A project by

BarrioBalmaseda

Promoter

Municipality of Ávila

Team

Alba Balmaseda
Ariadna Barrio
Architecture

Ramón López Farinós
Technical Architecture

ACIX
Facilities

Euteca S.L.
Structure

Images

BarrioBalmaseda

ALBA BALMASEDA



Photo by Philip Mak

BIOGRAPHY

Born in La Coruña, Spain, in 1985. Graduated as an architect from the Polytechnic University of Madrid in 2010. Granted with the Erasmus program in La Sapienza University of Rome in 2007. Diploma Thesis rated as outstanding and winner of a National Prize in 2011. Secured a Master’s Degree in Advanced Architectural Projects at the Polytechnic University of Madrid in September 2011. 

Combines the practice of architecture with academic research and teaching. Collaborated actively with Irisarri+Piñera Architects, Vivero de Iniciativas Ciudadanas (VIC) and Anupama Kundoo Architects. Developed academic research and teaching at Vastu Shilpa Foundation in Amhedabad, University of Nairobi, Tokyo Wonder Site, University IUAV Venice, KAKD Copenhagen or TU Berlin.

Co-founder of the BarrioBalmaseda studio which ran from 2014 to 2020. Since 2020 she has started a new architectural practice focused on design, teaching and research. Currently Guest Assistant Professor at Stuttgart School of Architecture and Planning and PhD candidate at Roma Tre University Department of Architecture. 


Madrid-Stuttgart-Palermo


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