Plaza del Mercado de Ponce
Encyclopedia
The Plaza del Mercado de Ponce, or, formally, Plaza del Mercado Isabel II (English: Ponce Market Plaza) is a historic marketplace building in Ponce, Puerto Rico
. It was inaugurated in 1863 by Ponce Mayor Don Luis de Quixano
. The building was designed by famed engineer Timoteo Luberza
. The Plaza occupies a city block in the Ponce Historic Zone
at the grid formed by Atocha, Estrella, Leon, and Castillo streets. It has room for 65 kiosks. It was originally called "Plaza del Capa."
in France. It has undergone four major additions and/or remodelings since then: in 1903, 1941, 1989, and 2007.
design of architect Pedro Mendez Mercado. Even by the early 1900s, Plaza del Mercado had enjoyed many years of heavy use and, by 1926, Plaza del Mercado Isabel II was so overcrowded that the city of Ponce built a second plaza, Mercado de las Carnes
, to relieve the overcrowding at Plaza del Mercado.
, was enhanced with an art deco facade.
signed the Senate Resolution Number 191, transferring ownership of the Plaza del Mercado de Ponce Juan Bigas building to the Ponce Municipal Government. The Juan Bigas building had sat unused since the 1990s when the shopkeepers moved back to the remodeled Isabel II building. On 7 April 2011, the municipal government announced it would invest $10 million to remodel the Juan Bigas building and turn it into a municipal services center, dubbed "Ponce Servicios", hosting various municipal services offices. The remodeling of the old Plaza del Mercado Juan Bigas building to be used for municipal government services will occur at a cost of $6.828 million. A July 27, 2011, news report stated work on the Bigas building would comence in October 2011 at an expected cost of $15 million.
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. It was inaugurated in 1863 by Ponce Mayor Don Luis de Quixano
Luis de Quixano y Font
Luis de Quixano y Font was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico from 1863 to 1865.Luis de Quixano y Font is best known for having built the now historic 65-kiosk Plaza del Mercado de Ponce in 1863. Occupying a full city block, this farmers' market was modeled after the Paris farmers' market.-See...
. The building was designed by famed engineer Timoteo Luberza
Timoteo Luberza
Timoteo Luberza de San Martín was a nineteenth-century Puerto Rican engineer from Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was responsible for the 1875 Ponce water supply system, including the dam in Rio Portugues, and the Calle del Agua masonry arch aqueduct in barrio Portugues Urbano in Ponce...
. The Plaza occupies a city block in the Ponce Historic Zone
Ponce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
at the grid formed by Atocha, Estrella, Leon, and Castillo streets. It has room for 65 kiosks. It was originally called "Plaza del Capa."
History
The building was erected from plans by Timoteo Luberza in 1863, who modeled it after the market of ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in France. It has undergone four major additions and/or remodelings since then: in 1903, 1941, 1989, and 2007.
1903 Enlargement
In 1903 it was enlarged according to the NeoclassicalNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
design of architect Pedro Mendez Mercado. Even by the early 1900s, Plaza del Mercado had enjoyed many years of heavy use and, by 1926, Plaza del Mercado Isabel II was so overcrowded that the city of Ponce built a second plaza, Mercado de las Carnes
Mercado de las Carnes
Mercado de las Carnes , also known as La Plaza de los Perros , but formally, Plaza Juan Ponce de Leon, was the first building in Puerto Rico to mix social and architectural elements via the pedestrian mall concept. The historic Art Deco architecture structure is located in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and...
, to relieve the overcrowding at Plaza del Mercado.
1941 Enlargement
In 1941, it was again enlarged per Mercado's plans. During the 1941 remodeling, the original structure, which was not art decoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
, was enhanced with an art deco facade.
The Juan Bigas building
Starting in 1981, and for the next 26 years, Plaza del Mercado operated out of a new building at the grid formed by the Guadalupe, Salud, Estrella and Mayor streets, just two blocks from the historic Plaza del Mercado Isabel II. The new building, called the Plaza del Mercado Juan Bigas building, was inaugurated in 1981 to replace the aging, but historic, Plaza del Mercado Isabel II building. On June 28, 2010, Governor Luis FortuñoLuis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is the governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America. Fortuño is also the president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico , a member of the Republican National Committee, and will be president of the Council of State...
signed the Senate Resolution Number 191, transferring ownership of the Plaza del Mercado de Ponce Juan Bigas building to the Ponce Municipal Government. The Juan Bigas building had sat unused since the 1990s when the shopkeepers moved back to the remodeled Isabel II building. On 7 April 2011, the municipal government announced it would invest $10 million to remodel the Juan Bigas building and turn it into a municipal services center, dubbed "Ponce Servicios", hosting various municipal services offices. The remodeling of the old Plaza del Mercado Juan Bigas building to be used for municipal government services will occur at a cost of $6.828 million. A July 27, 2011, news report stated work on the Bigas building would comence in October 2011 at an expected cost of $15 million.
1989 Remodeling
In 1989, the building was once more remodeled and its art deco style was further enhanced, after the design of architect Pedro Méndez Mercado. At this point the structure was turned from a fruits-and-vegetables market plaza into a handcrafts shopping plaza. Air conditioning was added to Plaza del Mercado Isabell II after in 1984 when the Pitusa supermarket moved in.1992 Remodeling
In 1992 Plaza del Mercado Isabell II was turned into a multi-use building that included parking, businesses, and private office space. This 1992 reconstruction was part of the Ponce en Marcha project. Its main entrance was built in 1920 and inside of it are some of the ruins of the old Broadway Theater. It was designed by Arch. Miguel A. Carlos, and built by Vissepo Construction. In 1993 the design and building project received the Award for Building Excellence of the Puerto Rico Association of General Contractors and the Association of Pre-mixed Concrete Manufacturers.2006 Restoration to today
The building was restored once more in 2006 at a cost of $4 million. In August 2007, the Juan Bigas Building shopkeepers moved back to the historic Plaza del Mercado building to occupy it once more as a fruit-and-vegetables market place.Unique
"The phenomenon of this building, unique in Puerto Rico, is that despite its enlargements, its interior still preserves the original structure. Through its remodelings, its facade has shown several architectural styles, including neoclassical and art deco."Today
Today Plaza de Mercado is also used as a venue for a variety of festivals and other similar gatherings. However, in October 2010, structural and air conditioning problems were found with the newly rebuilt structure.External links
- Eastern facade of Plaza del Mercado de Ponce. Looking north, circa 1900. Accessed January 5, 2011.
See also
- La Gran Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico, Vol XIX, "Arquitectura y Leyes", Editorial Rumbo, Madrid. 1976.
- Acevedo Cruz, Joaquin. Conservacion: Area de la Plaza del Mercado de Ponce. Escuela de Arquitectura U.P.R., 1982 (unpublished).