Mercat dels Encants
The Mercat dels Encants in Barcelona is one of the unique and emblematic spaces of the city and SOCOTEC has completed project and construction management for the structure.
General information:
Date: 2011 - 2013
Client: b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos
Location: Barcelona - Spain
Photo copyright: Gettyimages
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Project summary
Les Encants de Barcelona is a market spread across a triangular floor plan, with 2 basements, covered by an 18m high metal structure formed by double pyramids that are held at their vertices by four circular metal pillars.
The floor slabs above ground level are 50cm high and have an active reinforcement inside them to allow for spans of 16x12m.
Project details
It is a building with a more or less triangular ground plan comprising two basement floors and a mezzanine floor below ground level, used for parking, and two floors above ground level, used as a market hall.
The whole complex is covered by an 18-metre-high metal structure. The foundations are made up of insulated footings and solid slabs. The retaining walls are 45 cm thick with one or two anchoring levels.
As part of the containment work, it is important to shore up the existing Adif tunnel and move the collector in order to make the most of the site. The ceiling of basement -2 and basement -1 are made of 35cm thick solid slabs, while the attic ceiling is a two-way reinforced concrete floor slab, lightened by means of 50cm thick Porex cassettes. There are also two slabs above ground level that make two ramps on which the traders' stalls are placed. These slabs are 50cm thick like the ones immediately below, but have active reinforcement inside them to bridge spans of 16x12m. This situation is achieved because one of every two pillars disappears on the ground floor, creating a freer floor plan.
The metal roof is formed by double pyramids that are held at their vertices by four circular metal pillars that house the downpipes inside.
