Ecca collection

Located on the southeast fringe of France’s second city, at the heart of a major motorway intersection, the new wholesale market replaces the historic Marché Gare which was situated in the long-established city-centre trading district of Perrache.

This distinctive building is in reality two parallel 300m-long structures aligned north to south, and separated by a “customers’ courtyard”, open at both (east and west) ends.

Its rectilinear form and inherent functionality is the result of detailed collaboration between client SNC Corbas Development, architect AIA and the various end users - a number of separate growers and wholesalers - whose requirements included a streamlined and efficient facility for loading their fruit and vegetables on to lorries.

SNC Corbas Development and AIA also worked closely with façade manufacturer SMAC (Lyon) to produce the building’s distinctive exterior cladding, which the latter manufactured from 28 tonnes of powder coated aluminium Mirawall, from Miralu, supplied in seven contrasting but standard colours from its range of over 300.

The market opens very early in the morning, often before day break. It’s colourful façade, which distinguishes it from surrounding structures, including a vast and equally impressive grey-clad logistics building, is designed “to brighten up the site” as lorries arrive for loading.

According to AIA’s Albert Constantin, the functional architecture of the building meets the requirements of wholesalers “by completely releasing the ground floor”, with office space raised on mezzanines. He likens the “random checkerboard of pre-painted panels” above the building’s concrete loading bays to the fruit and vegetable displays of a market stall, “or a basket of fruit”, “its rhythm both dematerialising and energising” the finished building.