Swindon Market Hall

"A landmark in every way"

The Victorian market building on this site was demolished in 1976 as part of the complete reconstruction of the town’s shopping centre, and the market relocated. In 1991, however, Thamesdown Borough Council decided to move it back to its original location, and USM won a competition to find a development partner to design, build and manage the new market.

An innovative and dynamic design was an essential part of the brief, and USM’s response was a steel-framed fabric–roofed tented structure that has become a landmark for miles around. The building was completed in six months, and its five peaks represent the fairground that was always part of market activity in country towns. The forty units comprise a wide variety of traders, from the staple to the exotic, and there are additional stalls and a performance space in the pedestrianised area outside the building