Pattern 46: Market of Many Shops, With: 58:Carnival, 87:Individually Owned Shops, 93:Food Stands

I’m making a bit of a compound pattern here to analyze a trend that I noticed and honestly enjoyed. In most major cities, I could find a building programed for a collection of independently owned food stands selling to overwhelming masses of people. Imagine if you will the Minnesota State Fair. Sprawled out across acres are countless varieties of food options in addition to a more-or-less central food court. The food halls that I encountered in Europe were in the same spirit but without nearly as much space. For the sake of ease, I’m going to focus on my favorite hall which I found in Copenhagen; Street Food.

Alexander establishes in pattern 46 that;

“…when the market has a single management, like a supermarket, the foods are bland, and there is no joy in going there.”

He further makes his point in pattern 87;

“When shops are too large, or controlled by absentee owners, they become plastic, bland, and abstract.”

And again, in 93;

“The food stands which make the best food, and which contribute most to city life, are the smallest shacks and carts from which individual vendors sell their wares.”

Three separate patterns asserting the same sentiment; people making food in business for themselves is far superior to food made in business for a company. Alexander’s thoughts on carnivals are considerably less applicable but serve as a valuable comparison to American examples.

Street Food is a collection of chefs and purveyors dedicated to “…food that tastes good, is made from scratch, and it must be sustainable.” The sense of creativity, dedication, community, and the crowd that Street Food draws is similar to a carnival in that it’s a destination for more than just eating. Concerts and socializing bring culture to the rapidly changing harbor, developing an exciting new identity for Copenhagen.