MERCADO SALADO

The project combines two typologies: the traditional ‘Villa Pesquera’ (official facility for fresh seafood distribution around the island) and hospitality. The site selection contemplates the previous research in which a film was produced documenting and contrasting the past and present state of three ‘Villas Pesqueras’ around the island. As encountered, in these spaces exists a rich social and cultural interaction that identifies the coasts of Puerto Rico, in which fishers play a vital role. Even though fishing and its gastronomic activity are critical cultural elements, fishers have proven to be a historically marginalized population.

Considering those aspects, the site selection is driven by the history and political confrontation in the space. The site is in Punta Santiago, a fishing community on the island’s east side, which has been historically marginalized, even though they contribute to the coast’s culture. Punta Santiago counts with various attractions: breath-taking views of the open sea, as well as proximity to the Natural Reserve, Monkey Island, a small island inhabited by Rhesus Monkeys for scientific purposes since 1938, and nearby Vieques Island.

The architectural piece incorporates and restores the historic pier used for the sugar cane industry during the 1920s-1970s, giving it a new meaning and acknowledging the effects of rising sea levels up to 2100.

The project has three main components: the pier that receives the visitors from the ferry and where the hotel rooms are inserted, the ‘Varadero’ where fishers work, give maintenance to their boats and craft their artisanal fishing techniques, and lastly, the market that has direct access to the community and is composed of a fish market, fishing gear shop, administration offices, restaurant, and hotel check-in where guests are greeted with a complimentary drink –mojito of sargassum–.

The structure of the building is composed of a steel truss system that forms an undulating effect representing the ocean’s waves. Its ceiling is subdivided into bands that shift in one plane to indicate that coasts are not static and they are constantly transforming. The commemorative buoy, the landmark that crowns the end of the pier, serves as a viewing platform, a measuring device for weather conditions for the fishers, and a symbol with the Puerto Rican flag attached, honoring the community’s response after hurricane María.

As a result, Mercado Salado reimagines the future of the ‘Villa Pesquera’, implementing the economy of the sea.