The old new market: design and reuse in the city

Abstract

This article presents a case study of Velho Mercado Novo (Old New Market), in the city of Belo Horizonte: a design approach that reuses empty storefronts at Mercado Novo (New Market) and accommodates the interests of old and new vendors. The strategy adopted there renewed the importance of this location in the city and highlighted that which is old and traditional. The theoretical background includes discussions in the fields of social sciences and design that understand sustainability not only through reuse, but also through reconnection between people and locations. In this case study, the bonds built with the history and life of the space, revealed in formal and symbolic aspects of the new businesses, are analyzed. The successful occupations focused on the construction of an idea of the market that could articulate tradition, ruins, diversity and the future.