An Artisans' Marketplace in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Abstract

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, artisans work and sometimes live as nomads. The lack of permanent places to exhibit and sometimes produce their work makes them highly dependent on tourism agencies and private companies to provide them with places and opportunities to sell their work. The existing site is located on the south border of Plaza Mayor in Old San Juan and occupied by a department store at ground level with office and retail spaces in the upper floors. The objective of this thesis is to design a permanent artisans' marketplace with residences on this site. It proposes to bring the production and sale of this art into the heart of this historic and culturally important city. It aims to explore the insertion of a contemporary building in a historic context without copying the forms of the past while preserving the character and scale of the space.