Mostlikely Architecture

Common Space Program
Our goal is to make our environment more ecological and inclusive. The Common Space Program seeks to open and transform our cities as shared resources in this sense.

More information can be found at mostlikely.at/common-space.

As part of research activities within the Common Space Program, our team conducted in-depth investigations into markets and their role in shaping a resilient city. When the competition for the redevelopment of the Naschmarkt – a large, sealed inner-city site – was announced, we saw the opportunity to put our program into practice.

The Common Space Program for the Naschmarkt transforms the existing parking area into a multifunctional, green urban community space with trees, flexible urban furniture, shading, lighting, and a reserve of cool air. As a hub for regional products, the project creates a lively year-round market square beneath a weatherproof structure. Generous openings blur the boundaries between inside and outside, while the surrounding park landscape continues onto the rooftop oasis of the market building. Cultural and educational events, both indoors and outdoors, strengthen community life and social exchange. The goal was to revive various Viennese qualities – regional agricultural production, the city’s conviviality, and its characteristic landscapes – within this central urban site.

Three distinct zones define the space and give it a strong identity. The area is accessible to everyone – residents and visitors alike – encouraging social interaction and participation.
The Regional Naschmarkt serves as a year-round marketplace and hub for regional products under a protective roof. Fully open during the summer months, the structure can be enclosed with folding doors in winter. Structurally, it develops and continues the architectural vocabulary introduced by Friedrich Jäckel. The arrangement of ten permanent and twenty temporary market stalls follows the site’s dominant urban axes. At its center, a multifunctional space with a long communal table acts as the social heart of the market. Large openings dissolve the boundaries between interior and exterior. The Marktraum also connects to an elevated green rooftop oasis offering views over the lively market scene and the new urban “green lung.”

The Naschmarkt of Possibilities provides a large multifunctional area that hosts the well-known Saturday flea market. On other days, the space can be used for cultural events, sports, or children’s play, serving as a flexible meeting point for the community.

The Green Naschmarkt, developed in close response to citizens’ wishes for more green spaces in the dense urban fabric, introduces extensive consumption-free areas including a 4,000 m² public park, diverse multifunctional zones, and refreshing water features. With more than ninety new trees, permeable pathways, and a wide range of plant species, the design enhances climate resilience and supports urban biodiversity.

In addition to the traditional market stalls, the new Naschmarkt offers spaces for non-commercial public activities such as cultural and educational programs – children’s cooking classes or interactive workshops on food production in the Open Market Kitchen. During the day, it serves as a place for school activities; in the evening, it becomes a meeting point for residents. The year-round marketplace ensures not only the continuous availability of regional, high-quality products but also underlines the site’s social and cultural importance as a community hub for Vienna’s evolving food culture.