Adaptability in The Design of Space and Use of Stackt Market

So often, we as designers over-program space to a point where it starts to exclude users, becoming stagnant and of its time. The success of the Stackt Market has been its ability to evolve and change since its inception; it continues to do so as use and program demands shift. This may be attributed to the fact that the market is deemed temporary, which provides the luxury as well as ease of change and adaptation until it is dismantled. The success of the market is also enabled by the level of flexibility and adaptability in the design of space and use.

It is a fresh new concept for Toronto, in which sustainability – the retrofitting of containers – is the driver behind the creation of a new city destination that has grown beyond the concept of a market. It has become an iconic artform, an animator of a once derelict place, and a unique public space to simply come and enjoy. It has become a political statement, an initiative that challenges our approach to design and city policy. It is one that calls for a resurgence of spontaneity and design innovation unincumbered by restriction that simply allows a space to grow and evolve as the citywide community grows and evolves.

Project Information

Architect: LGA Architectural Partners

Landscape Architect: North Design Office

Structural Engineer: Blackwell

Mechanical Engineer: Hidi

Planner, Transportation: MHBC

Civil: Crozier

Shipping Container: Giant

Developer/Owner/Client: Stackt Properties LLP

General Contractor: EllisDon

Photographer: Industryous Photography