Mercado Central
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| Souce: Own Photo |
Mercado Central is one of Europe’s biggest markets that signifies the trade and cutting edge of technology in Valencia during the early 20th century. Embodying a modernist Catalan architectural style, the market comprises of ceramic partitions, mosaic domes and decorative glasswork that juxtapose with its neighbouring buildings, such as Lonja de la Seda. The dome that is made of iron, decorative ceramic glass, particularly exemplifies the colourful and ornamental charactertistics of art nouveau.
The building is split into two zones and consists of a ground floor and basement; whilst the basement is now converted into a carpark, the ground floor is where trading occurs and is made of brick tiles, supported by white iron columns and vaults. The white paint on the iron vaults and columns adds a layer of protection and helps prolong the building’s life cycle.
There are no obvious signs of metal oxidation due to its layer of paint that acts as a protection barrier. Since columns must withstand high compressive loads, it is likely that cast iron is used. Being the fourth most abundant element by weight in the earth’s crust, iron can be recycled to produce products of equal strength. However, iron is extracted from the iron ore by heating it with coal, which is a non-renewable energy and emits carbon dioxide during the process, contributing to the greenhouse effect.
Likewise, the glass ceramic is still in good form. It can be recycled and reused when the building reaches its end of life, reducing volume of waste sent to landfills and energy consumption when manufacturing new glass. It can also be used as a form of aggregate, fibreglass insulation or flux.
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| Source: Own Photo |
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| Source: Own Photo |
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