Mezzo Mercato
Urban Design meets Street Food Culture at the Public Design Festival in Milan during Salone del Mobile 2014
Mezzo Mercato was created to answer a call from an Esterni competition that would select the best projects relating street food and urban design. From more than 350 international candidates, Mezzo Mercato and 11 more projects were selected to be part of the Public Design Festival in Milan during the Design Week as part of Fuori Saloni events of 2014.
Mezzo Mercato, a revisitation of the traditional market stands, are a set of mobile units witch allow multiple spacial designs and combine the sale of products with leisure in public spaces. This project is a prototype of a gathering market, where you are invited to spend time enjoying local food, getting your groceries, reading your book, or having a drink with friends.
Each module brings a different function into a public space, and together they are able to increase dynamics between people and the created spaces. The number and type of modules can easily adapt to different conditions and necessities and are light enough so they can be transported by one person or carried by bike.
After the event Mezzo Atelier was commissioned to design and produce several Mezzo Mercato's modules for different kind of situations and companies. Among the clients there were Eataly, dutch supermarket Albert Heijn, Save the Children and more recently Expo Milano, where a square was furnished with two kind of modules.