Construction of the historic market in Mainz

Architect: Massimiliano Fuksas, Doriana Fuksas
Photographer: Adam Mork

The historic center of Mainz has gained a new building thanks to an avant-garde project that, contrasting with the unremarkable post-war construction, has added cosmopolitan elegance and a metropolitan character to the place. This project also represents a launching pad for the future development of the city. The reconstruction and extension of the historic market hall come from the pen of the renowned Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas.
He showcased an extravagant form, atypical materials, and technical innovations – an explosion of lines and colors. It is an example of contemporary architecture that demonstrates respect for history without falling into historicizing rhetoric. It involves the reconstruction of historical market houses into a multifunctional city building. This shell, woven with white ceramic rods, acts as a casing that envelops the six-story building and a tall atrium. Fifty centimeters below the skin of rods, ceramic panels, and glass is a concrete structure with a large number of skylights. In the atrium with a glass roof, three prominent columns and two kidney-shaped openings between the third and fourth floors attract attention.
The entire building features 14 apartments on the upper floors situated above the commercial zone on the lower levels. Access to the individual apartments, mostly duplexes, is possible via an elevator or through the piazzetta on the 4th floor. The highest floors contain bright residences, whose open interiors are characterized by refined aesthetic details, luxurious materials, and imaginative design. The overall impression is enhanced by views from the VELUX skylights of the historic city center.