Vaartkom Leuven has transformed from a desolate industrial area into a trendy city district. One of the most striking initiatives is the reconversion of the restored ‘forge’ from the old Stella Artois factories to a food market. With this contemporary interpretation, the project generates an added value for the new residential neighborhood. Respecting the past, the restored forge gets a contemporary and unique character. The interior design of the building is a quest for contemporary completion, respecting the historic building. Comparable to a traditional market, 'stalls' provide cosiness. Freestanding wooden volumes are interactors between the imposing scale of the historic building and the human scale of the visitors. The implantation of the fluttering entities is carefully chosen in function of circulation and view axes. A miniature city in which streets lead to squares where it is pleasant to stay. Each cell houses an autonomous commercial space that can be closed individually by means of scissor fencing. The 360 ° accessible shops can be filled in flexibly and are self-sufficient in terms of techniques, lighting and acoustic elements. The volumes are used as optimized furniture, which can be interpreted differently with minimal interventions. Despite the architectural uniformity, every shopkeeper can express his visual identity. This stimulating diversity creates a unique shopping experience.