Muttrah Fish Market is completed by Snøhetta
02/01/2018.
[Muscat] Oman
metalocus, TEODORO GONZÁLEZ
metalocus, TEODORO GONZÁLEZ
Description of project by Snøhetta
West of Muscat, on the coast of Gulf of Oman, a new fish market has taken the stand as a new landmark on the waterfront along the lively corniche in Muttrah. The Snøhetta designed Muttrah Fish Market is created to serve as a focal point for the community of Muttrah, while simultaneously functioning as a hub for Oman’s thriving fishing industry.
Situated at the heart of Muttrah, on Oman’s largest harbor, the new fish market is a tribute to both the past and the future of Oman. The city of Muttrah is known for its long history of commercial trade, its characteristic port, and long-standing fishery traditions. Located close to the city’s original fish market, built in 1960, the new market marks a continuity of the region’s trade and fishing traditions, while also fulfilling Oman’s need to accommodate for the country’s growing tourism industry.
Merging tradition with innovation, the 4.000 square meter fish market is designed to sympathetically unite the old and the new. The generous space creates a public meeting space where local fishermen and worldly tourist from all over the world meet under the same roof.
Seen from afar, one can observe how the curved wall relates to the radial shape of the corniche and the wider bay area, interacting with the street by exposing the stairs from the roof terraces in the openings along the corniche. Referencing both the former waterfront and the continuation of the corniche, the fish market defines the boundaries of public space, interconnecting the city, the mountains, and the waterfront.
Snøhetta is an integrated architecture, landscape, and interior design company based in Oslo, Norway, and New York City, formed in 1989 and led by principals Craig Dykers and Kjetil Thorsen. The firm, which is named after one of Norway's highest mountain peaks, has approximately 100 staff members working on projects around the world. The practice pursues a collaborative, transdisciplinary approach, with people from multiple professions working together to explore diverse perspectives on each project.
Snøhetta has completed a number of critically acclaimed cultural projects, including the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt; the National Opera and Ballet in Oslo, Norway; and the Lillehammer Art Museum in Norway. Current projects include the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion at the World Trade Center site in New York.
In 2004 Snøhetta received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and in 2009 the firm was honored with the Mies van der Rohe Award. Snøhetta is the only company to have twice won the World Architecture Award for best cultural building, in 2002 for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and in 2008 for the National Opera and Ballet in Oslo.