Experimental

The proposal for the new Multiusos de Abrantes (MUA) is based on the conversion of the former municipal market — an obsolete urban facility, yet one with strong spatial and symbolic value. The intervention preserves and adapts the existing structure, reorganising the two original floors and limiting new construction to what is strictly necessary.

On the ground floor, formerly the fish market, a logistical and technical support area is created for events. A new annex volume accommodates the loading dock, cinema, and service areas. Above, the former vegetable market is transformed into a multipurpose space, retaining the lightness of the structure and becoming the main venue for public and cultural use.

The project focuses on compacting the built area to free up exterior space and strengthen the connection with the surrounding urban fabric. It avoids invasive gestures, addressing the building’s structural and functional weaknesses through clear and reversible solutions that enhance the existing structure and local materials.

More than a new building, this is about reactivating a place with history — rehabilitating the colonnade and covered spaces as an open infrastructure for the city, available for diverse uses and future appropriation.