Market
Mapusa [Mapuçá], Goa, India
Equipment and Infrastructures
This infrastructure in the lower part of the town of Mapusa, on land reclaimed from the floodplain, replaced the old market once located by the City Council. The first stone was laid in 1952, but the construction process was slow and it only opened eight years later, in January 1960. The Market is situated on a property measuring 31,000 square metres and comprises a main pavilion 170 metres long, facing the town and with the main entrance, and six other pavilions. Besides these constructions, the precinct already counted various annexes at the time of its construction, so it is hard to ascertain whether structures were built over the years; it is possible that a small number were. There is also an underground drainage system, newly built at the time (it is not known if it still functions), and a lighting system. Its architecture is simple. The volume of the main entrance stands out, marked by double ceiling height and a panel by the sculptor Constâncio Fernandes. Inside on the side walls are two panels by the ceramicist Cuncolincar, from Bicholim. When it opened the market counted a total of 8,266 metres of covered area, which emphasises its role in affirming Mapusa’s focus on commercial activities.