gastronomy CENTER
/firenze, Italy / +alex brandt +paul schumac / spring 2012
In the outskirts of Florence, a large Mercato contains most of the fresh produce that goes into and out of the city. However, it is not here that the food is bought, but merely transferred to the different markets throughout the city. This project looked at utilizing this land and process as an educational and informative experience, both for the local and the tourists.
The program includes a sport stadium, surrounding independent markets, football fields and across the datum that connects two sides of the site, there is the culinary center where education and information is handled.
The culinary center includes classes for professional chefs to attend class, as well as a dormitory for them. The educational center also includes classes for tourists to attend, giving information and a history of the food culture in Italy.