Mercato Metropolitano Ilford
A new community food market and cultural hub with a stunning exposed structure in Ilford Town Centre. Circular economy principals are central to the scheme, which sequesters carbon through its demountable timber frame.
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Client
Mercato Metropolitano
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Architect
Interrobang, Clark Architecture
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Photography
Neil Kenyon
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Completion
2024
The project is supported by the GLA’s Good Growth Fund with Redbridge Council’s regeneration scheme, Spark Ilford, and will be sited on a neglected surface car park in Ilford town centre for a period of five years.
Consequently, the timber structure is designed in flexible, re-deployable modules to accommodate its disassembly and reconfiguration on potential future ‘meanwhile’ sites. The project has been detailed to eliminate material wastage through maintenance, using bolted connections and cladding and waterproofing systems that are mechanically fixed in small sections. This enables localised repair in the event of damage as opposed to disproportionate replacement of large areas of the building.
Our team provided multidisciplinary services to complete the design up to Stage 4, including the design of the exposed timber frame, below ground drainage and MEP systems. The project was put on hold in 2020, before recommencing with a new design team a few years later who saw the project through to completion in July 2024.
The new hub is an inclusive, exciting, and innovative facility which supports small businesses while providing tangible and lasting benefits to the surrounding community. By using low carbon materials, a minimal-impact philosophy, and providing numerous community benefits, the project sets a precedent for sustainable urban markets of the future.
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