Tarq Studio priotises informal ways people occupy space for angular market in Colombia
A large angular roof structure hovers over an open-air market in Valledupar, Colombia, designed by Colombian outfit Tarq Studio, acting as a signpost for the community gatherings and commerce it shelters.
The 3,057-square-metre Plaza Luna Vallenata opened in 2025 as the second largest market in the city.
Created as the first public facility by Tarq Studio, which has offices in Bogotá and Santa Marta, Colombia and Miami, Florida, the building's design drew on observations from Valledupar's existing market.
"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.
"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."
"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.
The rectilinear building is centred around a large covered plaza that prioritises social space in between eight bays of commercial stalls.
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.
The upper level – accessed by two circular staircases on the short end of the market – features restaurants and local kitchens that activate the building beyond market hours, continuing those communal connections throughout the day.
Oriented north-south, the building uses passive ventilation rather than mechanical cooling to accommodate the hot climate of Colombia.
Permeable facades and brick screens – as well as large geometric funnels in the roof trusses – capture air from the nearby Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains and pull it through the market.
The monumental roof is lofted over the stalls on a grid of large, tree-like columns.
"The large permeable canopy not only provides shade but also regulates airflow, light, and scale across the entire market," Torrent said.
The metal structure – painted a soft gold tone that complements the white of the floating stalls – is paired with technical wood-finish panelling to add warmth to the building palette of precast concrete and masonry, selected for longevity.
"The main challenge was designing something innovative while ensuring that it could be maintained over time within the realities of public infrastructure," Torrente said.
"The building needed to perform well climatically, remain economically sustainable and be constructed with durable materials that would age well."
Other markets built over the last few years in Latin America include a market with a wave-like vaulted roof in Quintana Roo, Mexico by Aidia Studio, a shopping centre with inverted, pyramidal umbrella roofs in Matamoros by Colectivo c733 and a food market with floating white forms in Morelia by HW Studio.
The photography is by Mónica Barreneche.
Project credits:
Architects: Tarq Studio — Eduardo Torrente (Design Director), Andrés Pinzón, Nicolás Suárez, Nathalia Crosby
Client: Gobernación del Cesar
Public relations: Mónica Barreneche, El Buen Ojo
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