New Guabuliga Market: A Modular Landscape for Trade, Guabuliga, Northern Region, Ghana
Emerging from a long-term engagement between the Vienna-based [applied] Foreign Affairs laboratory and the community of Guabuliga, this new market is a radical rethink of the West African commercial hub. Located at the strategic edge of a protected "no-building" greenbelt, the project combines a cellular metal roofscape with a robust concrete floorscape. Its iconic, modular design is engineered to attract traders to this remote town, fostering socio-economic growth through an architecture that bridges the gap between traditional round geometries and modern, high-performance construction.
The Social Lung of the Northern Region
The New Guabuliga Market is the result of extensive research conducted in 2018, which meticulously studied market typologies across various scales in Ghana. By collaborating directly with the village Chief, the Board of Elders, and potential sellers, the design team identified a site that functions as both a commercial anchor and a social "lung" for the village. The project serves as a professional platform for adult education, handcrafts, and food processing, providing a permanent home for the local initiatives fostered by the NGO Braveaurora.
Modular Geometry and the Evolving Form
The architectural language of the market centers on a cellular polygonal geometry that intentionally pushes the boundaries of the local construction environment. The roof structure is designed as a series of separate modules, allowing for easy expansion as the market's popularity grows. Visually, the form references a significant cultural transition within the region—the movement from traditional round building geometries with thatch roofs toward more modern, rectangular structures covered in metal sheets. By merging these geometries, the pavilion creates a familiar yet forward-looking aesthetic that resonates with the community’s own urban growth.
Appropriation and the Informal Landscape
The project is split into two primary elements: a concrete floorscape and a metal roofscape, each responding to specific climatic and urban parameters. The floorscape includes a integrated water source, built-in seating, and a specialized market shop for local products that evokes the tapered form of traditional West African grain silos. To encourage sellers to customize their stalls, "hooks" are attached to the supporting structural columns, providing endless options for hanging and displaying goods.
Beyond the formal pavilion, the architects designed extension zones finished with gravel. These areas are vital for the market's longevity; they facilitate natural rainwater drainage and allow for informal trade scenarios to flourish. Vertical pylons within these gravel zones can be appropriated by sellers to tether display lines or create temporary shade. By building with local masons and welders, the construction process itself provided vital income-generating opportunities and ensured that the complex geometries could be maintained and replicated by the hands that built them.
Data Sheet
Project: New Guabuliga Market
Location: Guabuliga, Northern Region, Ghana
Architect: [applied] Foreign Affairs, Institute of Architecture, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Lead Architects: Baerbel Mueller, Toms Kampars, Magdalena Gorecka, Juergen Strohmayer
Completion Year: 2020
Area: 634 m²
Key Materials: Concrete, Metal Roofing, Local Stone, Laterite, Gravel
Typology: Market / Social Infrastructure
Commissioned by: NGO Braveaurora, Chief Salifu Mahama Tampurie
Project Gallery
