Arquitectura y espacios públicos en Cuenca: diseño de un mercado municipal como núcleo de actividad social y comercial

Abstract

This paper examines the absence of a municipal market in the neighborhood of Miraflores in Cuenca, which has led to informal commerce, urban disorder, and deterioration of public space. This proposal aims to organize commercial activity, ensure sanitation, and strengthen social cohesion through a functional facility that is adequate for the environment. This project is distinguished for its contribution to the local economy, neighborhood identity, and its possibility of being replicated in other sectors. Its general objective is to design a municipal market under criteria of functionality and urban contextuality. The research employed a mixed-methods approach with census-type surveys applied to the inhabitants, which allowed for the precise identification of the sector's needs. The results confirm the viability of an integral design featuring 150 formal sales stalls, sanitary services, loading and unloading zones, and a central community courtyard. Bioclimatic strategies such as cross-ventilation, a green roof, and rainwater harvesting are included, in addition to open plazas and universal accessibility. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC, by its acronym in Spanish) (2022), Miraflores houses between 6,000 and 12,000 residents, a population for which a market with these characteristics is both appropriate and necessary.