Manifesto Market in Prague is a food market housed in shiny metal cabins

A temporary cluster of corrugated metal-covered units surround a shallow pool at Manifesto Market in Prague’s historic Smichov district, designed by architects Chybik + Kristof.

Located in a former parking lot sandwiched between the 20th-century National House of Smichov and a former market hall, the food market is intended to reinvigorate a neglected area of the city with new activity.

Chybik + Kristof designed the modular market for hospitality platform Manifesto.

Interspersed with trees and planting, Manifesto Market’s 11 units provide spaces for various restaurants and bars, surrounded by outdoor furniture designed by David Karasek.

Hanging lamps, made by Brno-based designers NAHAKU, are made from old prosecco kegs.

Designed to are reminiscent of the Art Deco fittings inside the National House, they illuminate the marketplace at night suspended between the containers and above the seating areas.

Arranged around the central pool, the metal cabins sit atop a raised wooden deck and create a street-like network of spaces.

“The project builds on local historical layers present on site but forgotten several generations ago,” explained the studio. “The idea was to create a lush green space, while learning from the intimate scale and proportions of public passages typical to Prague’s street level.”

The concept of reflection was realised through cladding the temporary structures in shiny metal panels, which reflect the facade of the historical building next door.

LUO Studio designs recyclable shed to house Chinese marketplace

“The reflective facade serves as a metaphor to reflect past and present, and picks up warm colours from the adjacent building. The motif of reflection reappears on the ripples of water in the small pool,” said the studio.

The raised wooden deck doubles as a concealed service area for the market, allowing for increased accessibility and for the easy installation of additional elements, such as a projector during summer.

Simple openings in the metal containers create serving areas for the restaurants.

Minimal neon signage created by graphic design studio FunkFu sits above the pool, reflected in the water.

The space was designed to run entirely off renewable energy sources, provided by Nano Energies, in order to minimise its impact during the duration of its stay in the city.

Chybik + Kristof was founded in 2010 and has offices in Prague, Brno and Bratislava.

Previous projects by the practice include a furniture shop entirely covered in used black plastic chairs.

Photography is by Alex Shoots Buildings.