Isaac Landeros
Yu Chen
Carlos Espino
China
Taojia Village Market
Taojia, Nanjing, China
Taojia Village Market is located in the agricultural and touristic village of Taojia, in the South of China. Despite a strong tea production tradition and abundant farmland, there has been an alarming decrease in the local economy. As a result, there is a lack of job opportunities for the people in this rural area. The idea behind this project is to provide a space that works as a catalyst to the local economy taking into consideration the environmental and cultural character of the site.
The location of the project has been chosen in the convergence point between two small villages in order to provide them with a new gathering place. Given the agricultural and touristic characteristics of the locality, a mutable marketplace has been proposed to enhance daily activities. The purpose of this new place is not only to serve as a showcase for local products, but also to become a flexible venue to host multiple activities that could be shared by both villages.
A single unit has been designed based on local materials like bamboo, and construction techniques used both in architecture and handicrafts. The unit can be repeated as needed in relation the amount of farmers, and through repetition different spaces are generated to accommodate social activities for the community. This allows the marketplace to have a variety of uses between weekdays (open classroom, playground, dance square) and weekends (farmer's market).
The project will perform as an active center between this two villages, recognizing the importance to contribute to the economy and culture of this rural area, and boosting their existing industries attracting tourists and benefiting locals.