Markthal’s great arch of food and city life in Rotterdam
Published on 09/04/2026 at 20:26 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Markthal in Rotterdam takes the familiar idea of a city market and places it beneath a vast arch of housing, turning everyday food shopping into a walk through contemporary Dutch architecture. Completed in 2014 to designs by the Rotterdam-based practice MVRDV, it has become a prominent landmark in the city’s Laurenskwartier district.
A horseshoe of homes over a covered market
From outside, Markthal reads as a broad horseshoe-shaped building rising over the Binnenrotte, with its two end walls clad in glass and its curved roof and flanks filled with apartments and offices.The horseshoe form makes the hall beneath feel both enclosed and open to the city, as the clear end façades frame views of Rotterdam’s streets and tram lines outside.Its location beside Blaak places the building directly in the inner city, rather than on a peripheral site.
The building combines several uses in one volume: a market hall on the ground level, apartments arranged along the arch, retail units and food outlets around the edges, and a multi-storey car park beneath.Descriptions of Markthal consistently mention 228 apartments integrated into the structure, along with extensive retail and hospitality space that ring the central hall.Dutch-language data underline the mixed-use character, listing apartments, shops, food outlets and parking as core elements.
Food hall under an immense arch
Stepping inside, visitors find a high market hall that stretches for about 120 m (394 ft), with the curve of the arch visible overhead and the façades at each end bringing daylight into the space.Architectural data record the hall’s length at 120 m and its height at 40 m (131 ft), which gives a sense of scale when standing among the food stalls.
The ground floor is laid out as a food hall rather than a traditional produce market, with permanent stalls, small eateries and counters arranged in rows and clusters beneath the arch.City visitor information describes around ninety stands and restaurants offering dishes and ingredients from many regions, from noodles and soups to curries and pastries. Above and around them, galleries and upper levels contain further food outlets and shops, connected by escalators and staircases that look down into the central hall.
MVRDV’s design and the art-filled interior
Markthal is the work of MVRDV, an architecture and urban design firm founded by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries, which has been closely associated with Rotterdam’s contemporary skyline.Project data list MVRDV as architect and Royal HaskoningDHV among the engineering firms involved, indicating the range of disciplines required for the large arch and its glass façades. Construction ran from 2009 to 2014, giving a clear timeframe for the building’s creation.German-language information likewise dates the build to those years.
One of the most striking features inside the hall is the huge artwork that covers the inner surfaces of the arch, created by artists Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam.The decorative scheme uses panels printed with enlarged images of fruit, vegetables, seeds and other food-related motifs, which rise up above the stalls and apartments like a colourful canopy. Windows from the apartments punctuate this surface, with frames set into the artwork so residents look down into the market from openings in the decorated inner skin of the arch.
Visiting Markthal: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Markthal stands on Dominee Jan Scharpstraat beside Blaak in central Rotterdam, with Blaak station on the railway and metro network directly next to the building.
- The interior is arranged over multiple levels, with escalators and staircases linking the main hall to upper galleries, and the underground car park accessed by vehicle ramps and lifts.
- The Markthal building sits within the Laurenskwartier district, close to the Cube Houses and other city-centre landmarks, so it can be combined with walks through the surrounding streets.
- The official language is Dutch and the currency is the euro.
Searching for Markthal on social platforms
These links open searches for Markthal on each platform.Frequently asked questions about Markthal
Where is Markthal in Rotterdam?
Markthal stands in the Laurenskwartier district of central Rotterdam, on Dominee Jan Scharpstraat next to Blaak square and Blaak station.
What can visitors expect inside Markthal?
Visitors walk into a high, arching hall filled with food stalls, eateries and shops, with apartments built into the arch and a large mural covering the interior surfaces.
What makes Markthal distinctive among Rotterdam’s buildings?
Markthal is distinctive for its combination of a covered food hall and housing in one horseshoe-shaped structure, and for the large-scale artwork that lines the inner arch.
