Architecture studio Atelier Masomi has built a market in Dandaji, Niger, using colourful recycled-metal canopies to attract vendors and help grow the local economy.
The permanent daily market was commissioned in response to the growth of the remote village of Dandaji, where the architecture studio also recently converted a mosque into a library and community centre.
The project, which provides the village with 52 enclosed market stalls, has been completed with round, brightly coloured canopies that shade each of the separated lots.
Colourful metal canopies and compressed earth bricks have been used in the market's redesign
In rural Niger, a landlocked country in west Africa, markets typically run on a weekly basis, meaning that individual villages struggle to develop a local economy. Dandaji market previously ran on a weekly basis, but the upgraded market now runs every day.
The architects hoped that by rebuilding the regional market it could provide new opportunities for the inhabitants of Dandaji and galvanise a region which has been struggling economically, with climate change greatly impacting agriculture in ?recent years.
Atelier Masomi aims to attract new vendors to the market through the project
"The objective was to create an infrastructure that would be visually striking, instil pride in its users, and attract more commerce to the area," explained the studio.
"Ultimately, an important goal of the project is to create a space that triggers greater con...