Mercat de Mossén Sorell, Valencia

Mercat de Mossén Sorell is a public market in Valencia’s El Carmen district, occupying part of the site of a former palace. That palace was commissioned by Tomàs Sorell and Eleonor de Cruïlles during the latter half of the fifteenth century, then destroyed by fire in 1878. The market was designed by municipal architect Àngel Romaní Verdaguer in 1932 and built in 1935, using reinforced concrete with an iron framework.

Its open layout gathers stalls around a courtyard, while four polygonal pergola-like structures mark the corners. Above the building, a raised polygonal canopy rests on eight pillars and ends in a pyramid; an opening at its apex helps bring daylight inside. The market underwent a major rehabilitation in 2008, adding storage, cold rooms and a space for exhibitions. Today, its architecture makes a former palace site part of an active neighbourhood market.