A Danish construction consortium under the leadership of E Pihl &Søn has won the tender to build Copenhagen Markets, a new wholesalecentre for fresh produce, plants and flowers set to be built in HøjeTaastrup, Denmark, which will be the largest fresh produce wholesalecentre in northern Europe.
The planned new market is due to replace Copenhagen's existingGrønttorvet wholesale market, which plays host to this year's annualWUWM Congress in October.
When Copenhagen Markets opens its doors to the public in 2011, itwill be the largest and most dynamic marketplace and distributioncentre for fresh produce, plants and flowers in northern Europe,according to planners. The construction consortium says it aims todevelop a 'visionary and functional construction concept' that willgive the new centre an identity and profile unlike any other market inEurope.
Copenhagen Markets will consist of a series of six-sided halls each covering 10,000m2,combined with rhombus-shaped and three-sided halls forming aninnovative building complex that, according to the developers, offers ahigh degree of functionality. The food and flower halls will besurrounded by a large network of roads with easy access to a largenumber of ports, docks and ramps for regular and modulartractor-trailers, as well as parking lots for customers and visitors tothe market.
Four turnkey construction consortiums took part in the EU-widetender process. The panel of judges deemed that the winning projectstood out as a 'powerful, innovative, flexible and convincing proposalfor the future', promising efficient and functional logistical handlingof products, and an accessible trading environment rich in experienceand with strong appeal for modern retailers, the catering industry andconsumer representatives.
One of the panel's three professional judges, architect and partnerin CF Møller Architects Julian Weyer believes the winning design willbenefit the international standing of the market and the city: 'Thesix-sided structure is a very exciting idea that will fascinate bothcustomers and other interested parties,' he said. 'The winning projecthas the potential to function as a brand for Copenhagen Markets and canbe optimised to satisfy the efficiency requirements that the futuretenants quite naturally have.'
Copenhagen markets director Torben Flinch added: 'The winningproject will give our tenants at Copenhagen Markets substantialbenefits in the form of more effective logistics and operations, aswell as new trading opportunities. We anticipate growth in the numberof companies in the future, including players with new products such asfish and meat.'
In the second half of 2008, the management of Copenhagen Markets,together with E Pihl & Søn and in close collaboration with over 50companies who have already signed a lease agreement, will optimise anddevelop the final project before beginning the construction phase nextyear. It is possible to follow the optimisation, layout and detailedplanning of the market on the website: www.copenhagenmarkets.dk
Copenhagen Markets will enjoy a unique location near the motorwaysystem in the western part of Copenhagen and is also close to Malmö,therefore linking well with the two cities of the øresund region andmaking it easy for customers to shop and have goods delivered from themarket. In all, 3.6m people live in the øresund region, the majorityliving within a radius of 50 km.
