Night Merckt
8 maart t/m 6 mei 2018
A fragment of the new Grote Markt captured in light
At the invitation of the Tschumi Pavilion, from 9 March onwards, the Rotterdam architecture firm Powerhouse Company will be exhibiting the light installation Night Merckt, a poetic preview of the Merckt building project currently under construction in Groningen city centre.
Merckt
In 2016, Powerhouse Company won the design competition for the corner building on the East wall of the Grote Markt in Groningen with the Merckt project. Part of the design is a publicly accessible plinth with a food court, the Food Merckt, where people can eat, drink, and beer is brewed too. The middle section of the building consists of apartments, which are crowned by a public roof terrace boasting a view of the Grote Markt.
Night Merckt
The Powerhouse Company proposal was selected in part due to the richness and detailing of the building. The public plinth with the food court opens up towards the city through rows of striking, slender arches that subtly refer to the architecture of the Martinitoren (St. Martin's Tower) and city hall. It is these striking arches that are captured in light in the Tschumi Pavilion, in a playful reference to the design of the new building, but also to night markets and food courts.
A poetic look to the future
Merckt will be an elegant building with an innovative public programme; a building that will give Groningen a new boost and act as a connecting element between Grote Markt, Nieuwe Markt, Poelestraat and Oosterstraat. With Night Merckt, Powerhouse Company wants to offer a poetic preview of this new and image-defining part of the city.
About Powerhouse Company
Powerhouse Company has offices in Rotterdam (NL), Munich (DE), Oslo (NO) and Beijing (CN). The office works on various international commissions ranging from interior design to architecture, planning and research. Powerhouse Company is the winner of several international awards, including the Dutch Design Award, the Maaskant Prize and the AM NAi Prize.
CREDITS
Client: Tschumi Pavilion Foundation
Architect: Powerhouse Company
Partner: Stefan Prins
Team: Nanne de Ru, Stefan Prins, Sandra Pyłczewska, Rookje Meijerink, Bjørn Andreassen, Ryanne Janssen, Peter Lee
With thanks to: Mensenborgh Projecten, Patrick Beijk/Mr Mofongo
Image: MIR, Powerhouse Company