Casablanca is a young and dynamic city in Morocco with a population estimated at approximately 4 million habitants. A market square is a public open area where market stalls are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on particular days. It is usually situated in the center of the town, surrounded by buildings and streets. This open air market will be permanent and challenge conventional markets. It will become a place for local growers to sell an assortment of products along with fresh produce grown directly above the public space, dramatically contrasting the a-typical means of food growth and consumption, enriched with a sense of local, a sense of connection and a new place for the community to engage.
The farming space is divided into a serices of cubes to accomodate a variety of growing conditions and contextually complement the gritty pixelation of the city. Through the buildings ecology of production and distribution, a variance of densities brings together different social and cultural groups to create new urban experiences that formalize and dissipate within the constant flux of city life.
The project embraces collective agriculture, air pollutant purification, grey water reuse, and solar energy. At night UV lights, charged from the amount of solar exposure during the day will keep the market well lit and provide 24 hour growing efficiencies. This project is a model for a new breed of building type fostering enlightened city dwellers; conscious of where their food comes from, and nomadic workers; those who move throughout the city tending to their food production needs, ultimately facilitating an enhanced production and intelligent consumption model for living.
