Halės market

About

Halės Market is the oldest continuously operating marketplace in Vilnius, with origins dating back to the 15th century. It was previously known as Basokų Market, where horse and grain markets were held. Everything related to the household was available in the market: horses, grain, food, industrial goods, and so on. Unfortunately, the densely built and disorderly market pavilions marred the view of the city.

Therefore, the city council decided to build a new pavilion, and thus, in 1906, the current Halės Market building emerged, which was designed by Vaclovas Michnevičius.

This project stood out from others due to its steel and reinforced concrete constructions, which helped it win the design competition due to their cost-effectiveness. Interestingly, the architect designed Halės Market inspired by the recently constructed Eiffel Tower in Paris. These metal trusses and complex profile arches are the only example of their kind in 20th-century Lithuania.

Halės Market is also called the “lucky child” – it survived both world wars relatively unscathed and remained almost unchanged throughout the entire period. Although the building consists of the historic market and the new extension – buildings from different periods – the connection shows how the new part of the building pays homage to the old one.