{"id":534054,"date":"2026-03-20T03:59:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T03:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/534054\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T03:59:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T03:59:15","slug":"tarq-studio-designs-breezy-angular-market-in-colombia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/534054\/","title":{"rendered":"Tarq Studio designs breezy angular market in Colombia"},"content":{"rendered":"

A large angular roof structure hovers over an open-air market<\/a> in Valledupar, Colombia<\/a>, designed by Colombian outfit Tarq Studio, acting as a signpost for the community gatherings and commerce it shelters.<\/p>\n

The 3,057-square-metre Plaza Luna Vallenata opened in 2025 as the second largest market in the city.<\/p>\n

Created as the first public facility by Tarq Studio<\/a>, which has offices in Bogot\u00e1<\/a> and Santa Marta, Colombia and Miami<\/a>, Florida, the building’s design drew on observations from Valledupar’s existing market.<\/p>\n

\"ExteriorAn angular roof tops Plaza Luna Vallenata in Colombia<\/p>\n

“We weren’t looking for formal references, we were trying to understand the everyday dynamics: the flows, the heat, the conflicts, the informal ways people occupy space,” Eduardo Torrente, founder and head architect of Tarq Studio, told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

“The goal was not just to design a market, but to create a place where people could stay, meet and feel that the architecture belongs to them.”<\/p>\n

“That process reinforced the idea that architecture can become a form of social infrastructure when it responds directly to lived realities rather than abstract assumptions,” he continued.<\/p>\n

\"AngularIt was designed by Tarq Studio as a gathering space for locals<\/p>\n

The rectilinear building is centred around a large covered plaza that prioritises social space in between eight bays of commercial stalls.<\/p>\n

In addition to supporting local farmers and ranchers who can now sell goods without intermediaries, the plaza allows for the interactions from the stalls to expand beyond each space and prompt community gatherings that might not have a home in the peripheral neighbourhood.<\/p>\n

The upper level \u2013 accessed by two circular staircases on the short end of the market \u2013 features restaurants and local kitchens that activate the building beyond market hours, continuing those communal connections throughout the day.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Mercado<\/p>\n

Aidia Studio tops Mexican market with parabolic roof system\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Oriented north-south, the building uses passive ventilation rather than mechanical cooling to accommodate the hot climate of Colombia.<\/p>\n

Permeable facades and brick screens \u2013 as well as large geometric funnels in the roof trusses \u2013 capture air from the nearby Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains and pull it through the market.<\/p>\n

The monumental roof is lofted over the stalls on a grid of large, tree-like columns.<\/p>\n

\"InteriorThe market features eight bays for commercial stalls<\/p>\n

“The large permeable canopy not only provides shade but also regulates airflow, light, and scale across the entire market,” Torrent said.<\/p>\n

The metal structure \u2013 painted a soft gold tone that complements the white of the floating stalls \u2013 is paired with technical wood-finish panelling to add warmth to the building palette of precast concrete and masonry, selected for longevity.<\/p>\n

\"InteriorThe building’s metal structure was finished in a gold tone<\/p>\n

“The main challenge was designing something innovative while ensuring that it could be maintained over time within the realities of public infrastructure,” Torrente said.<\/p>\n

“The building needed to perform well climatically, remain economically sustainable and be constructed with durable materials that would age well.”<\/p>\n

Other markets built over the last few years in Latin America include a market with a wave-like vaulted roof<\/a> in Quintana Roo, Mexico by Aidia Studio, a shopping centre with inverted, pyramidal umbrella roofs<\/a> in Matamoros by Colectivo c733 and a food market with floating white forms<\/a> in Morelia by HW Studio.<\/p>\n

The photography is by M\u00f3nica Barreneche<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Project credits:<\/p>\n

Architects: Tarq Studio \u2014 Eduardo Torrente (Design Director), Andr\u00e9s Pinz\u00f3n, Nicol\u00e1s Su\u00e1rez, Nathalia Crosby
Client: Gobernaci\u00f3n del Cesar
Public relations: M\u00f3nica Barreneche, El Buen Ojo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A large angular roof structure hovers over an open-air market in Valledupar, Colombia, designed by Colombian outfit Tarq…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":534055,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[228,226,227,27459,229,88,112,31378,64879,64880,209255],"class_list":["post-534054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-colombia","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-markets","tag-public-space","tag-sectionall","tag-sectionarchitecture","tag-sectionexclusives"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=534054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/534055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=534054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=534054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=534054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}