An Exploration of the Development of Huddersfield's 1970 Market Hall: Architectural Decoration with Cheap Greens; An Architect's Dream?

An exploration of the origins and development of Queensgate Market; a 1970 covered retail market in Huddersfield in the United Kingdom.

The market’s roof of glazed reinforced concrete asymmetric hyperbolic paraboloid shell umbrellas and prominent artwork have led to never ending controversy. Proposed demolition of the building in 2003 and its listing on grounds of its architectural or historic importance in 2005 accentuated the community’s dichotomy over the market’s qualities.

Can the building be better understood by examining antecedents and historical practice?

Through a review of markets and market architecture and design, hyperbolic paraboloid shell roofs engineering, retail design and public art the research aims to explore aspects of the development of Queensgate Market;

the trajectories of art, engineering and architectural practice

the transfers of awareness, knowledge, empowerment and actualisation

the mechanisms and vectors at play in such transfers; education and autodidactic learning and dissemination through publication and migration.

the connections based on proximity, employment, meeting and travel.

It was carried out by site visits, primary and secondary sources and interviews with people involved with design and construction.

Queensgate Market is identified as the unique nexus and climax in the expression of markets, hyperbolic paraboloid shells and civic art.

The study concludes that the vagaries of human migration, challenge, proximity, education and friendship are informal but important vectors in addition to technology, commercial, legislative and societal norms to the realisation of the project