Aidia Studio tops Mexican market with parabolic roof system
International design practice Aidia Studio has lofted a wave-like vaulted roof with green details over a market in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
The 7,700-square metre (82,882-square foot) Mercado Nicolás Bravo is characterised by a series of inverted umbrella shapes that sail above individual market stalls on a 3.2-acre site on the Yucatan peninsula.
"The project is a testament to our commitment to a resilient architecture approach, prioritising construction techniques and materials that ensure minimal upkeep throughout the building's lifespan," said Aidia Studio, which has offices in London and Mexico City.
Completed in 2024, the market is dedicated to empowering the local community through arts and crafts as well as a place to offer fresh produce to tourists visiting the Mayan archaeological sites nearby.
Part of a government-funded program to improve underdeveloped Mexican municipalities, the market provides a link between the tourism industry and the needs of the less than 5,000 Nicolás Bravo residents.
The studio arranged 50 market stalls in 14 enclosed blocks on an 8-metre by 8-metre (26-foot by 26-foot) grid.
Doubling as a community centre for cultural events and educational workshops, the building was constructed with four elements: a lightweight steel structure, reinforced convert slabs and parapets, concrete blocks and clay bricks.
The masonry and concrete are pigmented with a natural sand colour that offsets the light olive green tone of the trim and market doors, continuing the colours of the surrounding palm trees throughout the market.
Raised above the market stalls like a tree canopy, the undulating roof – constructed from a series of hyperbolic paraboloid forms – is broken only by two planted courtyards.
"This not only reflects our dedication to form-finding for architectural aesthetics and structural integrity but also integrates a biophilic design philosophy, seamlessly blending the structure with its natural surroundings," the studio said.
Clay bricks are laid across the metal structure, accommodating the multi-directional curvature of the roof sections.
The courses run in alternating directions, creating a textured grid within the diagonal structural lines.
Lifting up at the corners, the roof directs rainwater to internal downspouts that run down the columns, rather than a perimeter gutter system.
The columns are composed of four square metal pieces ganged together in a lightweight cluster.
The blocks are divided diagonally into four symmetrical triangles that can be configured into display spaces, kitchens and restrooms.
Brick walkways extend out from under the roof and mark off square gardens that follow the rhythm of the market stalls.
The Mercado Nicolás Bravo is the latest in Aidia Studio's designs of sail-like roof structures in Mexico. Previously, the studio lifted a zig-zag metal roof over a sports grandstand and topped a community centre with a series of concrete barrel vaults, both in Oaxaca.
The team also completed a conceptual design for a Tulum train station shaded by a curving, shell-like lattice roof.
The photography is by Andrés Cedillo.
Project credits:
Architect: Aidia Studio
Lead architects: Rolando Rodriguez Leal, Natalia Wrzask
Project coordination: José Luis Mulás
Project team: Alexis Escalante, Mariano González, Nitze Magaña, Emilio Vásquez
Structural engineering: Project & Calc
Client: Secretary of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development
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