Markets are definitely among the most attracting urban places, linking communities and people of differerent cultural backgrounds. The temporary floating market, that popped up July 6 in North Amsterdam is an experiment aiming to find out what markets could mean regarding the neutralisation of spatial and cultural barriers. The Johan van Hasseltkanaal forms a spatial barrier between the Tolhuistuin, which is a rising cultural and creative hotspot, and a traditional neighbourhood in transtition that is facing integration problems. The floating market is meant to link both places in mental and spatial perspective.
The project is set up by a couple of students of the University of Amsterdam participating in the course ‘Social Engineering in the Amsterdam Metropolis’. The floating construction is made out of 1,00 x 1,00 x 0,50 foam blocks. Each of them has a floating capacity of 500 kilograms. Tied together, these foam blocks form an incredible stable floating surface. The market, where a.o. biological and local foods are been sold, is a temporary initative waiting for a more definite follow-up.
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