Food plays a vital role in shaping our cities. Where and how we eat and shop are crucial for the health and resilience of communities and the entire ecosystem. In response to the food and climate crises, alongside growing social inequality, we need solutions that shorten supply chains and ensure fair access to healthy, affordable food.
Establishing local markets for buying and selling agricultural products boosts city resilience, promotes equal opportunities for all social groups to access nutritious and low-cost food, and strengthens small businesses and neighborhood connections.
For 15 years, Aleksandra Wasilkowska Architectural Studio has explored the concept of “shadow architecture”—informal street trade and markets—and is now leading the reconstruction of the Blonie market. This renovated open-air market is located in Buwane, near Warsaw. For centuries, the local community has maintained a rich market tradition, offering affordable, high-quality food sold directly by producers and farmers.
The Buwane community decided to renovate the market to tackle issues such as poor sanitation and inadequate infrastructure.
The reconstruction creates a hybrid public space that merges two social functions: a park and a marketplace. The multifunctional white roof reflects light and protects from rain. When the market closes, the stepped merchant display tables with wooden tops transform into seating areas and informal gathering spots.
Along the roof’s perimeter, shops and service booths feature white corrugated board facades with French windows.
The square also includes restrooms and administrative kiosks. At the market’s center, there is a bar and a communal table adjacent to a children’s play area. A passage around the rooftop market facilitates the transport of goods to exhibition booths and commercial venues, as well as open-air trading stalls where trucks and agricultural products flow freely.
The carefully treated smooth concrete surface ensures pedestrian, wheelchair, and skateboard traffic can move safely and without obstruction throughout the market.
Revitalizing the market and enhancing biodiversity are central to the project. Surrounding the roof and pavilion is a natural green island planted with pine trees, multi-stemmed hornbeams, beech, and alder trees. Once mature, these trees and shrubs will provide food and shelter for birds and insects, while offering additional shade to the open-air trading stations.
Along the fence walls, iron wire lotus and wisteria, flower meadows, shrubs, and fruit trees have been planted. Rainwater is collected from the roof into a storage basin, with overflow used to irrigate plants and replenish groundwater.
The square’s geometric design optimizes rainwater flow into rain gardens, flower meadows, perennial plants, and shrubs, supporting sustainable water management.
The final design incorporates various street fixtures, including white circular information boards, bike racks, boulders, bird and insect houses, and community-shared tables and chairs. Beneath the distinctive organic roof, a play garden features wooden animal-shaped rocking chairs.
As a mixed-use park market, Buwane Market improves the local microclimate, supports small business development, and provides residents with access to locally produced food. This enhances the city’s resilience in the face of epidemics, food shortages, and climate challenges.
Project Drawings
△ Plan View
△ Axonometric Diagram
△ Axonometric Diagram
△ Exploded Diagram
Project Information
Architect: Aleksandra Wasilkowska Architectural Studio
Area: 1,453 m²
Project Year: 2022
Photographer: Nate Cook
Suppliers: Alchimica, Aluprof, Geberit, Koło
Lead Architect: Aleksandra Wasilkowska
Studio Team: Aleksandra Wasilkowska, Monika Olesko, Karolina Kotlicka, Agnieszka Lanko, Alicja Rudowska
Architectural Engineer: Daniel Przybylek
Road Engineer: Tomasz Mikolajuk – Tmp Projekt
Fire Safety Consultant: Marcin Cisek
Project Type / Purpose / Function: Food Market, Park
General Contractor: Zab Bud
Investor: Blonie Commune
Location: Błonie, Poland
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