Central Marketplace looks like this: As the pencil describes vast movements interrupted by precipitous consideration, workers start digging for the foundation. The pencil follows the sense of architect Toma Socolescu and light rushes in to uncover it. I follow intuition down one of the corridor entrances. From the oval balcony of the fish hall, I see endless cold bodies choosing their fish.
Their scales’ sheen rises towards a ceiling as tall as their waters were deep. The stalls on the balcony went bankrupt so I can count the windows rushing in with their light to grab me amazed. A few plastics left behind remind of the other hall ruffling its busy hour for attention.
Down another corridor, another glance to pay respect to the windows, some dizzy steps, the main hall. From the round balcony, I face the clock tower and its four facets look back at all of the places I could be in. Around the balcony, the meat stalls shine ruby to complement the orange paint and the panopticon interpretation of my hypnosis.
I go between the carry bags downstairs, to smell wafers and count identical stalls, find herbal tea to sleep better. I get carried out by currents of fur coats and thick heels, passing by rooms of abounding neon cheese. I see ‚goodbye’ in the fish eye and end up starring at another clock tower.
Millions must have passed through these halls to grab their meat and stare at the light, unaware of the pencil drawing them in.
Photographs by Nastasia Alexandru
Halele Centrale (Central Marketplace) were built between 1929-1935. They are identified as historical monument (PH-II-m-A-16306) and defining element of the town Ploiesti. Intense repairs were performed in the early 1980s. They are slowly falling apart due to water infiltration. Little is publicly known about plans for their preservation.
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