© Richard HuangToday we visited Barcelona’s largest flea market, Mercat dels Encants, which is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Its origins can be traced back to around 1300, when second-hand goods were regularly sold outside one of the gates in Barcelona’s city walls. The market later moved several times. A number of wall-sized photographs on display offer a photographer’s view of the old market. I photographed one of them.
© Richard HuangPermanent shops line both sides of the entrance, brightly lit and selling mostly antiques, paintings, and calligraphy.
© Richard HuangThe goods are in fine condition, but they are expensive. The dealers seem indifferent to whether you buy or not, and there is little room for bargaining.
© Richard Huang
© Richard HuangBeyond these shops lies a broad, open plaza. In 2013, the market moved from its old site to this new home at the foot of the Agbar Tower, with around 500 stalls.
© Richard HuangThere was another photograph on the wall that I did not manage to capture. It showed the old market covered by a series of canopies that sheltered it from wind and rain. The new market has a 25-metre-high golden mirrored roof, while all four sides remain open, giving visitors fresh air as well as protection from sun and rain. I suspect the design was inspired by the canopies of the old market.
© Richard HuangBesides being decorative, the golden canopy lets in so much light that artificial lighting is unnecessary. The market was crowded with visitors, all busy haggling.
© Richard HuangThis gentleman was so absorbed in the hunt that he forgot all about appearances. When he found a book he liked, he clamped it between his legs and carried on rummaging.
© Richard HuangReflected in the golden canopy overhead, one can make out the general spread of the stalls below. Antiques, small tools, books, and clothing are all on offer, both new and second-hand.
© Richard HuangWe were most interested in Chinese ceramics, and we did find a few pieces. We also came across a box of unused Chinese enamel mugs from the 1970s, priced at only a few cents apiece. One of my companions joked that if we each bought one to take home, we would be carrying back a mugful of childhood memories.
© Richard HuangA ring of permanent shops, much like those at the entrance, surrounds the plaza. They occupy three levels. Rather than adopting the usual shopping-centre model, the designers created a semi-open structure with broad ramps. Walking through it feels like strolling along a pavement, and before you know it, you have reached the next floor. The higher you go, the better the view of the stalls across the plaza.
© Richard HuangSeen from above, the market takes on an entirely different look.
© Richard HuangThere is also a small food court on the third floor, where you can stop for a snack and a rest. Upstairs, there seemed to be more electronics for sale, along with plenty of inexpensive goods from Yiwu. I was quite intrigued by the old cameras, but I know too little about them to risk buying one.
© Richard HuangOn the third floor, we came across a video shoot. The equipment looked professional, and besides the camera operator there was a script supervisor and an assistant. The whole crew swept along in an impressive procession, looking very much the part.
© Richard HuangOne of the young men was taking photographs with a Leica film camera. When he noticed that one of our companions also carried a Leica, he stopped to chat with us. The golden canopy is beautiful but difficult to photograph: its many lines make the scene feel cluttered. I had been shooting all morning without getting a single image I liked. Since he was clearly a professional, I watched how he approached it. He isolated one section and used the lines to frame a triangle. I followed his example and took several shots of my own; they turned out rather well. Everyone can be a teacher, and everywhere a classroom.
© Richard HuangAs we left, I took a closer look at the nearby Agbar Tower. Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the 38-storey building is one of Barcelona’s newer landmarks. It is often compared with London’s “Gherkin.”
Nouvel is an admirer of Gaudí. The towers of the Sagrada Família were inspired by the Montserrat mountain range outside Barcelona, while the Agbar Tower was designed to evoke a fountain surging from those same mountains. Nouvel hoped it would echo the towers of the Sagrada Família across the city. Even so, its appearance has attracted plenty of criticism. Its façade is fitted with a computer-controlled lighting system, making the tower a popular gathering place on New Year’s Eve. An intelligent climate-control system automatically adjusts the opening and closing of its blinds. This design won a European Union green building award in 2011.
© Richard HuangOne evening, while visiting Barcelona Cathedral, I happened upon the Mercat Gòtic flea market in the square outside. It is held every Thursday, as well as on certain other dates; for details, see its official website.。
© Richard HuangThe market consists of 28 specialist dealers offering antiques and collectibles in styles ranging from Isabelline and Alfonsine to Modernisme, Art Deco, and contemporary design. Their wares include religious objects, ornaments, coins, books, silverware, jewellery, clocks and watches, dolls, cameras, and records. The merchandise is fairly refined, but the market caters mainly to tourists and the prices are high. We had a look around, then left.
© Richard HuangMadrid and Barcelona have quite a few flea markets like these. If time permits, a visit to one is well worth including in any trip to Spain. It is a rewarding experience, and you may even stumble upon an unexpected treasure.