Markthal in Rotterdam’s Laurenskwartier arch of food and homes
Published on 08/12/2026 at 13:39 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Markthal in Rotterdam is a vast arch-shaped building where an indoor food market shares a single structure with hundreds of apartments, creating a striking inhabited roof over a public hall. Opened in 2014 and designed by Dutch practice MVRDV, it stands in the historic Laurenskwartier district near Blaak station and the Grote Kerk, turning a former open square into a permanent covered marketplace.
An inhabited concrete arch over a market square
Seen from outside, Markthal reads as a grey natural stone volume curving over a rectangular plaza, its profile shaped like a horseshoe rising about 40 m (131 ft) above the market floor.arched concrete volume The long sides form solid elevations punctuated by regular apartment windows, while both end façades are translucent walls of glass held in place by a cable-net system, enclosing the hall without heavy framing.single glazed cable net façade
The building’s concrete structure follows the arch, with residential floors stacked along its inner and outer curve and the market reaching across the entire ground level beneath.market floor under an arch of apartments Apartments face either towards the historic Laurenskwartier streetscape or inward through windows and glass floor panels that overlook the stalls below, embedding everyday domestic life directly above the activity of the hall.view towards the historic Laurenskwartier
Food market, shops and parking in one structure
At ground level, Markthal functions as a covered market square, with rows of food stalls arranged beneath the arch and framed by permanent retail units along the sides.large market hall underneath The permanent units accommodate food shops, cafés and restaurants, while an underground level houses a supermarket, making the building a daily shopping destination as well as a place to linger over meals.mixed use, retail, residential
Below the market, several basement levels form a large car park integrated into the same footprint, accessed from the surrounding streets and directly connected to the hall above.underground 4-story parking garage In total, the building reaches a floor area in the order of 100,000 m² (over 1,076,000 sq ft), combining retail, hospitality, housing and parking in a single complex rather than dispersing them into separate blocks.total floor area of 100,000 square meters
Cornucopia on the ceiling and the story of its making
Inside the hall, almost every visitor’s first impression is the enormous mural that covers the entire inner surface of the arch, an artwork called “Cornucopia” by artists Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam.Cornucopia mural The imagery magnifies market produce into outsized fruits, vegetables and grains set among flowers and insects, referencing seventeenth-century Dutch still-life paintings in a contemporary graphic style across an area of about 11,000 m² (118,000 sq ft).11,000 square metre space
The building was commissioned after a competition organised by the city of Rotterdam in 2004, won by developer Provast working with architect Winy Maas and the MVRDV team.competition organised by the city of Rotterdam Construction started in 2009 and the completed hall was officially opened on 1 October 2014 by Queen Máxima, marking the arrival of the Netherlands’ first permanently covered food market.opened on October 1, 2014
Visiting Markthal: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Markthal stands at Binnenrotte in Rotterdam city centre, next to Blaak railway and metro station and close to landmarks such as the Cube Houses and Laurenskerk.Binnenrotte, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- The main market floor is level with the surrounding streets, while access to the car park and lower supermarket involves stairs and escalators inside the building.underground parking spaces
- Rotterdam lies in the Netherlands, where the official language is Dutch and the currency is the euro.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Markthal
Where is Markthal in Rotterdam?
Markthal stands at Binnenrotte in Rotterdam city centre, in the Laurenskwartier district close to Blaak station and the Gothic Laurenskerk.
What can visitors expect inside Markthal?
Visitors find a covered market hall with food stalls, permanent shops and restaurants arranged beneath a high arch, with a supermarket and car park on lower levels.
What makes Markthal distinctive among market halls?
Markthal combines a full-scale indoor food market with an inhabited horseshoe-shaped arch of apartments, all wrapped around a single hall crowned by the vast Cornucopia ceiling mural.
