Perfect for a pop-up market in Seoul that appears only overnight and on weekends, these collapsible and stackable structures take up little space when not in use and can be deployed and stored quickly and easily.
Designed by Motoelasico for the capital city of South Korea, the temporary tents provide space for craftspeople and designers to set up shop and sell wares. Then, during the week, the units can be left on site without taking up public space.
Two site-specific variants were developed for two locals along the Han River. One site is narrow and long, and its design solution consists of a series of foldable ‘V’ structures on wheels covered with orange tarps.
Each unit houses three vendor booths with roll-up sides to for visibility and ventilation. The fronts and backs are open allowing views through to the river behind the sellers as well.
The other site is a broader and more built-up area of benches and greenery, and its solution draws on the model of stackable supermarket carts. Booths are independent and pyramidal, but can be slid into one another for storage.
These yellow-clad units have more flexibility in this less-linear space, able to be arrayed around corners and arranged in different ways depending on demand.
While both are responses to a particular place and set of needs, they also serve as a useful model for other cities looking to create open-air markets — simple, durable, practical but also fun, colorful and inventive.
