London Workshop: Smithfield Market

from Amanda Ellis: Portfolio in Urban Design

CV

REIMAGINING SMITHFIELD MARKET: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS

Smithfield market has gone through a lot of changes during its time, physically, socially, economically and also physiologically. Nowadays, Smithfield is questioned in terms of its current position and also its “traditional” way of trading. There are studies made and Smithfield has been projected to decline slowly due to the lack of will to change. Similar to its previous days, traders at the Smithfield market still work by hand (butchering the meat, loading and unloading the meat) and have no fixed prices while other similar wholesale markets have the help of modern equipment to speed up the process. Growing together with London, Smithfield acts as a catalyst for the city and vice versa, it is dependent on each other more economically in the past than now. Perhaps Smithfield at the present is seen to have more architectural, historical and emotional value than its sole purpose (commerce and trade) and the thought of demolishing or relocating it would decrease its value.

Smithfield Market:1200’s

Smithfield Market:1660

Smithfield Market:1849

Smithfield Market:1868

Smithfield Market:1875

The growth of Smithfield market in relation to the

City of London1300’s:Street pattern still remain the same

Changes in the urban street pattern of Smithfield

1300’s: Buildings are aligned to the curvature of the roads which were used to bring livestock from different parts of England

1868: Courtyards surrounding the market previously used for keeping livestock can still be seen

1868-Present:Smithfield Market strongly define the current street pattern visible today

REIMAGINING SMITHFIELD MARKET: A 24 HOUR MARKET

Though the biggest function of Smithfield market is a meat wholesale market, the market also caters to fruits, vegetables and fish. However, after 1980s, the general market and fish market was closed while the cold stores turned into power plant, night club and a parking spaces. Even though the market is still alive, it is not as competitive as it used to be. Therefore, the new proposal suggests an alternative function to the market by extending the opening hours of the Smithfield market to run 24 hours as follows:

24AM-9AM : Wholesale market

9AM-10AM : Break

10AM-18PM : Retail market

18PM-23PM : Restaurant, bar

Land use around Smithfield Market:Offices

occupy the largest area around Smithfield

while the number of services catering to

office

workers

(retail,

restaurants)

are