Raw materials station

Recently, a remarkable minitoren reaches toward the clouds at the Afrikaanderplein. If the white sails of the Afrikaandermarkt, which appear here on Wednesdays and Saturdays, are the roofs of the village, then the tower is the church, I think. The new structure of white storage tanks turns the market into a small town. Just like the stalls, the building, designed by Superuse Studios, exudes a sense of temporariness. Here and there, some panels hang loose, and the walkway over the building is closed off – probably the stairs were too dangerous after all. But the pavilion, entirely made from reused materials, is a smart thing. The resource station – that's what it's called – was created at the initiative of the Afrikaanderwijk Cooperative, which wanted to collect the market's waste sustainably. The majority of the ground floor area is occupied by three containers. There is a storage room and a small office. Outside, anyone can claim a spot. There is a bar. A grandstand overlooks the sports field behind.
The pavilion serves as a beacon for the neighborhood and does so in its very own style. A frugal support structure of steel and wood peeks out here and there, bright yellow. The walls of the pavilion are made of storage crates for water, a thousand liters each. On top of the little building, there is a terrace. The containers are cut open, and plants grow in them. An unexpected piece of urban nature. From the pavilion, you have a beautiful view over the temporary village of white sails.

De Standaard