How Should a Food Market Be Designed to Attract Thousands of People?
The Danilovsky Food Market in Moscow was built back in the USSR era, over 30 years ago, by two architects – Gavriil Akulov and Felix Novikov. Its building hasn’t seen capital repairs till 2017, when the covered market got into the skillful hands of the Ginza Project Holding. The top management invested about 1 billion RUB into the renovation, which is about 17 million dollars, and expected something gorgeous from the revamp, but the result exceeded all their expectations.
Now this is a market of the European format resembling a Spanish or Italian courtyard. In the middle there is an icy “island” with plenty of seafood and fish tanks, and the rest of the trade zones are arranged around, like the rays of the sun. There are rows for fresh vegetables and fruits, meat and fish, pickled products and luxury foodstuffs. Along the perimeter the market houses about 20 cozy cafes established by famous Moscow restaurateurs. Here you can taste a falafel and an octopus, a dolma or a burger, a Peking duck or a Moroccan tazhin.
The renovation process was held in three phases, under the guidance of a big team of architects. At the same time the market has never been closed completely: when the construction team was working hard in one of the sectors, the sellers never stopped their brisk trade in the others. The architecture of the building was fully preserved, and the outdoor territory was dressed up with paving stones, trees and garden benches. Now this place is a shelter from hectic Moscow lifestyle.
Besides a food court, the building was complemented with a mezzanine floor and new trading places. To crown it all, very soon the territory of the Danilovsky market will house the first Jamie Oliver’s cookery school in Moscow. These and many other positive changes created an absolutely new concept of the place. Both the sellers and the buyers admire the new image of their beloved market: tidy, beautiful and convenient. And now it’s not just a place for buying foodstuffs, but one of the most fashionable places for rest among Moscow citizens and guests!
