Markthal is located in the city center of Rotterdam, in the historic Laurenskwartier which is currently being redeveloped.

The project is part of the ambition of the city council to turn the Laurenskwartier into a lively and bustling area.

Markthal comprises 96 fresh food stalls and shop units, ranging from Rotterdam based businesses and market vendors to established local heroes. They offer a diverse range of products: from fresh fish to game, from cappuccino to cheese, from Chinese to Dutch, from ice cream to local produce, from bargains to exclusive slow food.

The ground and first floor accommodate 20 retail units, restaurants and cafés. All shops are food-related and include a crockery- and a wine shop. A supermarket is located on the 1st underground level allowing the shoppers to complete their shopping under one roof. ‘The World of Taste’, a center for education, information and innovation in the field of healthy eating will open on 1st January 2015.

The building with a total surface of 95.000 sqm was designed by Rotterdam based architecture and urban planning firm MVRDV. The arch-shaped hall has a height of 40 meters; inside the arch 228 apartments are situated. The ground floor has a length of about 120 meters and a width of 70 meters, the size of a large football pitch. Markthal is an energy efficient building and has been awarded a BREEAM Very Good rating.    

In order to attract a large number of visitors, the building is designed with an open character. The open sides had to be closed to prevent rain and cold from entering, but kept as transparent as possible by opting for a single glazed cable net facade. Comparable to a tennis racket, pre-stressed steel cables create a suspended net in-between which the glass panes are hung.

The exterior facade is clad in grey natural stone; the same is used for the market floor and the surrounding public space, in this way the emphasis lays on the colourful interior.

The large mural which covers the vaulted interior, Cornucopia by artists Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam has a total surface of 11.000 sqm. Cornucopia shows oversized images of market produce which can be bought at the market, while the flowers and insects refer to the work of Dutch still life masters from the 17th century. In order to achieve the required sharpness, the image was rendered by Pixar software. It was printed onto perforated aluminium panels, then attached to acoustic panels for noise control. The print resolution of the art work is comparable to a glossy magazine.