Floating Market Pops Up in Amsterdam

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.