Journal of Architectural Engineering Technology
Open Access

Cultural heritage is a testimony of human civilization, culture, and history. It has become necessary to define by law the body responsible for safeguarding its sustainable continuity. The historical marketplace is a great public space. It is functionally differentiated from other marketplaces in terms of social, economic, and cultural activities. Those areas are not only commercial activities but also heritage value.

Market is a landmark for the city. The historical marketplace has its own unique market activities, urban configuration, building character, the streets cape integration with the shopping environment. Nowadays, the market open marketplace is a historically significant area. That had faced of the problem of market shift into multistory commercial buildings. It's had an effect on the heritage value of the market area. This historical market is losing the place’s character, contextual, local, cultural, and unique value of the place. The research is to investigate the impact of multi-story commercial buildings on the heritage value of the open market. For analysis used the heritage value examination tools. The objective of this research is to analyze the traditional market areas concerning the evolution of the new marketplace of market. And also, it identifies the factors that influencing the heritage values of market traditional market with the evolution of new trends in the marketplace. Finally, investigate the effects of multistory commercial building upon the historical market of market. In terms of urban formation, Heritage value, and sociocultural aspect. This research will be significant in addressing the issues commonly historical places in Addis Ababa. So that it has contribution to enhance and maintain the quality of historical marketplace in terms of spatial, physical and environmental aspect.

A heritage place is usually one which has been formally identified as being of heritage significance, and can be a building or a structure, an open space or landscape, a relic or an object. Heritage value: This refers to the meanings and values bestowed by the individuals or groups of people on the heritage [1]. The term ‘heritage values’ refers to the meanings and values that individuals or groups of people bestow on heritage (including collections, buildings, archaeological sites, landscapes and intangible expressions of culture, such as traditions)[2]. Heritage is an essential element of national representation with the potential to perpetually remind citizens of the symbolic foundations upon which a sense of belonging is based.

There are factor affecting the heritage value in various perspective. Housing – (Urban high rise/urban sprawl and Encroachment/changes to skyline etc.), Commercial development (Skyscrapers, Large shopping malls, Encroachment/changes to skyline etc.) [3].

The following criteria for examine and define the heritage value place [1].

• Cultural, Cultural value: It represents the identity of every society and people’s viewpoint of a phenomenon. Lifestyle, quality of life, rituals and traditions, beliefs, values, norms and finally, the culture of every society are hidden in the cultural value and heritage of that society.

• Economic, In terms of architectural heritage, the economic value may be understood as a value generated by the heritage resource, or conservation action. Economic values have four potential sources of revenue: tourism, commerce, use, and amenities.

• Integrity: The concept of integrity implies the wholeness, intactness, and purity and refers to a state where a monument includes all its constituents.

• Aesthetic value, Authenticity (Authenticity in design, Authenticity in materials, Authenticity in construction, and Authenticity in the quality of setting).

• Contextual, it is a set of values like the sense of place, sense of civic involvement; sense of worth, sense of connection and so on created by positioning in a particular place and is assigned to a building or a part of city.

• Uniqueness, (as an intrinsic character) should be distinguished from the rarity (an acquired feature) according to which the resource will remain unique not only in the present era but also in the future eras.

• Functional value: Tis value is rooted in the historical record regarding the function of the work and the way that the man takes advantage of it in the course of time.

• Tourist’s value it is referred to the value acquired by the things that are important to the tourists. Since, the tourists want to get the most out of their trip, particular places.

• Local value. This value is given to those things that are important for the locals. Tis can be a historic fabric, privacy, or opportunity to live normally.

Urban marketplace (also commonly known as the bazaar, traditional market, public market, etc.) has been recognized in published works as an important economic and cultural place for a city. Iconic marketplaces that are rich with heritage values become significant attractions in urban tourism [1]. Traditional markets are places which show the community lifestyle, culture and heritage that’s why it has a strong rootedness to its local people [4].

The market places are one of the urban spaces which give public figures in the city or urban centers. Due to this the vitality of public interactions within the surrounding communities by being connected to the surrounding neighborhood, fostering street life and creating a strong sense of place. The market, in that sense, becomes both origin and destination, helping community residents recognize and value the public space as integral to their collective identity. The market is more than merely a location where one obtains food and other necessities, but also embodies the community’s unique sense of place [5]. And also there are three pillars that examine the traditional market such as morphological language, socio-cultural and bioclimatic [6].

The historic commercial areas are the structural evidence of the city’s heritage, possessing historical value and an architectural and urban character, compatible with all the environmental features that people require [7].

According to [8] Commercial buildings and property are generally classified into six different types or categories: Office building, Retail buildings, Industrial buildings, multifamily housing, Hotels and motels, Special-purpose buildings.

The increasing impact of these informally organized open markets has become a pushing force towards a contemporary market culture, such as malls, supermarkets, hypermarkets. Carmona calls these contemporary markets, highly designed, largely artificial and costly to use ‘market places’. He claims that these markets lack the liveliness, disorderliness, and unexpected possibilities [9].

Contextual review

In the early years of Addis Ababa, after being founded by Menelik II in 1886 E.C, The city initially grew around two centers, the Gebbi, the imperial palace serving as the political center and the St. George church, the religious center. Arada, which was later developed as a market center also, had cultural and commercial importance. This market was held in open air every day, except on Sundays and having a large number of people on Saturdays. Various commodities were sold and the market was divided into fifteen specialized areas. Other than Arada and the small local markets (Gulits) which sold foodstuffs, there were hardly any shops, except very few attended by foreigners such as Indians, Armenians and Greeks [10].

The accompaniment of religious activities is another feature of markets. These activities pull each other mainly because both activities collect a large number of people. [11] Tesfahun (1993) states some Ethiopian indigenous markets were established near religious centers. They are also areas where informal or formal religious authorities announce messages to people (Figure 1).

Figure 1: The historical pictures of market open market.

The research strategy of this study is based on a single case study, i.e., the case area is market open market. This city was purposely selected for two reasons. Firstly, the site is of historical significance and one of the largest commercial nodes even if in Africa. Secondly, the richness and diversity of Market’s heritage combined with the city’s rapid urbanization trend reflect a need for investigation into the conservation of its urban heritage and the challenges being faced.

This study used descriptive research methodology through qualitative and quantitative approaches. The data are source from a direct observational survey study and governmental maps were taken. The qualitative data are questioners and interviews through graphs and chart analysis data. So that it was intemperate using GIS and other map-generating software to clarify the findings. Stratified sampling techniques were used to gathering data from direct users of the marketplace. This research identifies examine parameters for the open market select from different scholars in the review such as:

• The morphological language

• Heritage value (Cultural value, Integrity value. Contextual value, Uniqueness, Tourist value, Local value, Functional value and Symbolic value).

The data was collected from the 150 local resident and merchant members. It was used Stratified sampling method. Due to this this study will be select and identification of some variable and arranging sample frame based on strata such as:

• Traditional commercial buildings/multi-commercial buildings.

• The cluster of open market/the single multi-story commercial buildings (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Research design source from the researcher.

Market came into being at a definite period in the history of Addis Ababa. In 1936 started as a kind of small village market and assumed its present proportion thanks to the people who came from the four corners of the nation to buy and sell goods and services and make money to change their lives. The Italian occupiers called it Mercato indigenous which means in Italian the market for natives or indigenous market (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Location map of the Market open market.

The marketplace in Ethiopia is one of the great public spaces that diversify people who come together in different areas. It is the interactions people have in the marketplace and about the connection these forms between the person and space. These places have an impact on our social, economic, and cultural behavior. The main specifications of the Merkato open market area are the clusters of the market areas. Such as shema tera, Doro tera Dubai tera and etc. these functional elements have a role to create a memorable image and historical significance through different generations until now.

Photographed in 1905 and 1936 respectively, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Archivio L.U.C.E)(Figure 4). The Merkato open market had functional, contextual, historical, local, cultural, and tourism and integration heritage values. That is why the Merkato open market is different from other markets place in Addis. It is still the largest open market in Africa. Nowadays, the impact of the allover urban developmental direct influence on this historical marketplace(Figure 5).

Figure 4: Photograph of Addis Abeba marketplace stalls, 'Merkato di Addis Ababa,' 'Addis Ababa Market.'

Figure 5: The Morphological evolution the last 20 years in Merkato

The Merkato open market has had heritage elements for the last eight decades years. Merkato has been one of the biggest open markets in Africa is the most important thing. There should be branding and promoting this. The openness of the market reflects the ancient tradition of the Ethiopian market system. This indicates trust among the customer and the merchant; our custom of living together. It is characterized by place and people interaction. There are classified areas for each market activity and Product for all economic classes; Open circulation and movement; Cultural and religious interaction.

It’s the visible result of the urban morphological changes on the Merkato open market. The merchant and local residents are agreed with that. This had leads to the loss of identity and integrity with historical market elements. On the other hand, these changes have diversified implications such as attract modern commercial unites, institutions and organizations. The merchant gets commercial spaces that service to develop their economic activity.

One of the tools is the urban integration with the historical marketplaces is to examine the heritage values. This is related to the urban scale, building typology, architectural linkages, and historical aspects of the old marker areas. That maintains and enhances the interaction b/n the surrounding built environment with the marketplace. Market is the iconic representation of our tolerance and respect for each belief. Coexistence is highly possible and building that character has considered the environment and cultural history of the area.

The development of multistory commercial buildings had added other shopping elements in Merkato. But it had a direct influence on the open-air marketplaces. Because of the demolishing and redevelopment program. It does not integrate with urban character. In the perspective of the integrated heritage value of the open market, the Merkato Was highly obstructed by the multistory commercial buildings(Figure 6).

Figure 6: The historical touch market areas in Market

The historical building scenes are crowded, with a large number of people present. The scenes seem to be filled with people and products to the extent that walkways or aisles are hardly visible. The main figures of the Merkato open market area have historically defined by these grid pattern block arrangement.

According to the survey, these three blokes was examined in six categories according to urban ad architectural condition These blocks have scale and proportion with the urban environment this means the urban scale is one of the images of the area. It gives legible. But the condition area the two-block so-called frash tera and mentaf tera had bad structural building condition. It needs reconstruction to maintain the heritage value (Figure 7).

Figure 7: The evaluation of the historical market blocks in Merkato

The respondent’s comments were similar to observations made by the researcher. The heritage value of the Merkato marketplace is integrated with building arrangements and cultural coherence. So after the implementation of the LDPs, there is a lack of integration and contextual value measurement in this plan. Due to this, there is height deference between the old or historical figures of the Merkato place and the new developments of multistory commercial buildings. The Merkato open market highly rates of urban development this has their side effect on the heritage value of this historical open market such as symbolic value, cultural, integrate and contextual value of the market was impact by the multi-story commercial buildings (Table 1).

Table 1: The multistory commercial buildings factor that affect heritage value of the Merkato open market.

According to the survey, the multi-story commercial building was influenced by the heritage value of the open market. As the table shown above, the respondent evaluates the factor affecting the heritage value related to the development of the multistory commercial buildings. There is an existing conflict between the need to preserve heritage and its urban fabric and modernization projects to meet economic objectives. Providing urban infrastructure to meet the rise in population while protecting the integrity and authenticity of its heritage remains a distinct challenge.

In discussion, the historical market environment is less preferred when their spatial configuration and environmental conditions are perceived as negative. Their lack of positive elements (such as housing condition, accessibility, security, and competence with functional aspect) also contributed to the low preference rating.

The majority of merchant comments are negative aspects related to the multi-story commercial buildings. That implies on social activities, historical continuity with urban character, effects on the market clusters so-called “Tera”. But they commented on the positive point of view on enhancing the income level. Moreover, there were the respondents have neutral concerning tourism activity on multi-story commercial buildings, cultural elements in shopping centers they reflect our culture related to cloth products and handcrafts.

As the observational and survey, the development of commercial buildings has a negative implication on the Merkato open market. These heritage values mainly mention characters, functional, symbolic, and cultural values. It had figures of the Ethiopian identity. These elements had contributed to the distinctive atmosphere of a marketplace. But the transformation of urban character for the last 3 decades has had an impact on the image of the open market. The other factor is sustainable integration with market blocks, streets, and urban structures. The authenticity value of the Merkato open market is influenced by the modern finishing material, construction technology.

The Merkato is a set of values like the sense of place, sense of civic involvement; sense of worth, sense of connection, and so on created by positioning in a particular place and is assigned to an urban center or a part of the city. This commercial node has an influence on the neighborhood environment by creating harmonize commercial activity and socializing. The heritage value of the Merkato market place is integrated with building arrangement and cultural coherence. So after the implementation the LDPs there are lack of integration and contextual value measurement in this plan. Due to this there is height deference between the old or historical figures of the Merkato place and the new developments of multistory commercial buildings (Figure 8).

Figure 8: The current situation of multi-story building in Merkato.

In the perspective of the integrated heritage value of the open market, the Merkato is highly obstructed by the multistory commercial buildings. Whereas the sense of place of the Merkato open market areas has still implications to the image of the city, the social interaction, and the value of the place. This means merchants and residence had a sense of belongingness with the unique value of this traditional market (Figure 9).

Figure 9: The map shows the unique market cluster in Merkato.

The functional value measures, in terms of diversifying shopping and functional activists, diversify customers and merchants almost all over Ethiopia and reflect their culture and social activists. The Merkato open market has a high degree of contextual value. But on the other hand, it’s uncertain with the unique functionality of market clusters. Because there is limitation to maintain the historical market areas into high rise commercial building. Also, a lack of integration design, rule, and relegation on building height, building typology and land use classification.

The result of this examination is that heritage elements that testify to the historical values of the Merkato open market have been perspective to a varying degree in the case area. Due to this, the emerging of the city's urban developmental actives that takes place in Merkato for the last three decades years. It was highly negatives implications on the integral heritage value of the open market. That related to the urban scale had one of the contextual values of the Merkato [12].

This means the changing urban morphology such as streets, building typology, scales, and land-use changes its effects on the market configuration, cultural cohesion and its give local identity.

The traditional open market area loses the symbolic and unique market cluster due to the transformation of the Merkato open market to a multistory commercial building. The unique market cluster such as “tera” that crate market landmark in Addis Ababa. People had a big image and changed the perspectives all over Ethiopia about Merkato (Figure 10).

Figure 10: The respondent views on the heritage value of the Merkato open market.

The adopted criteria were evaluated subjectively on the following scale: 0-35%-negative aspect; 36%-70%-neutral; and 70%-100%- positive aspects. The extent to which examine the heritage values of the Merkato open market area respond by the merchant, local residents and professionals.

There are factors that affect the heritage values of the Merkato. Those are lack of integration of the cultural and contextual integration structural plan and urban developmental policy. It's only a business district oriented, not to enhance the cultural indigenous market elements and local value.

According to the contextual value, The Merkato is a set of values like the sense of place, sense of civic involvement; sense of worth, sense of connection, and so on created by positioning in a particular place and assigned to an urban center or a part of the city. This commercial node had an influence on the neighborhood environment by creating harmonize commercial activity and socializing. The respondents agree with the positive perspectives of the researcher on the Merkato had a pictorial marketplace.

According to the survey, 63 percent of merchant’s respondents have agreed that the historical urban fabric of the Merkato open market is different from another marketplace in Addis Ababa. Through that, the unique value of this traditional market measures in terms of diversifying shopping and functional activists, diversify customers and merchants almost all over Ethiopia and reflect their culture and social activists. But currently, the development of the multi-story commercial buildings affects the unique commercial activities in Merkato. Because of covering large areas with less significant return values of commodities comparing with the land value in the area. The development of commercial buildings was mainly focused on the economic activity rather than the functional value of the open market that creates an image (Figure 11).

Figure 11: Cultural and iconic market place in merkato.

As we know, the marketplace has the source of communication and gathering information. Due to this, the Merkato is one of the high concentrations of business centers in Ethiopia. People have an opportunity that variously exercises their social soundness with dayto- day activities. This marketplace has positive aspects for local elements through a reflection of cultural activity, cultural clothe making, and community together activity.

According to the functional value of the Merkato area, the colorful market was organized based on a section (tera). Similar products are placed in the same area. The major teras in Merkato include Saten Tera, Shera Tera, Mesob Tera, Worke Tera, Ched Tera, Menalesh Tera, Dubai Tera, Military Tera, Bomb Tera, Shata Tera, Mentaf Tera, Frash Tera, and Sidamo Tera. From the exclusive Ethiopian garment to pieces of jewelry, the market is full of items. It’s easier to find just about anything. There is a problem mentioned by merchants concerned with the limitation of continuous historical and traditional market areas are not competent enough to modern market areas due to this limitation on security, safety and not environmentally soundness (Figure 12).

Figure 12: Tourism attraction market areas in Merkato.

It’s symbolic value represented by the historical monument can be useful in conveying the meaning and information that can help the society to interpret its cultural identity and character. On the other hand, the activeness of the market activities continuously without interrupting to give economic advancement to the Addis Ababa City. All the respondent stakeholders strongly agree with the symbolic values of the Merkato open market.

These historical market places successfully continue to practice the diversity of tourism activities without losing the nature of the market's historical touch. While it provides cultural clothes, Jewries, religious iconic products, and handcraft house commodities. Currently, the tourism value is decreed for many reasons according to the survey they realized the multistory commercial buildings have no hospitable to attract the tourism activity and neglect the cultural retails. Due to this, the governmental body should promote the traditional tourist attraction market places but still a limitation on land value.

The research concludes that the heritage value of the Merkato open market is highly impacted by the development of multi-story commercial buildings. Because it has different missing elements such as urban architectural ingrate development, limitation on cultural integration on market places, the trends of our living environment, limitation on management monitoring the developmental trade not only focused on economic development. While the research tries to conduct the heritage value of the area through functional, physical, and social dimensions with the contribution to the quality of urban life.

To sustain functional, vibrant, and attractive traditional open market, the preservation action must be done such as developing rules and regulations, creating awareness in the community, providing standardize parking lots for traditional markets, and providing a safe environment for market users and business owners. The detailed study of the plan and design must be done regarding historical market preservation and circulation. It provides regulation for new commercial developments. They must adapt the historical senses of the study area. The value of continuous cultural memory is providing the main context in which to understand history as part of a community’s life. But this community is affected by the lack of architectural language with urban characters of the open market.

The characteristics of the multistory commercial development are affecting the heritage value of the open market. There is a limitation on the human scale, the harmony of colors, and the variety of their facade's elements are against the historical architectural images of the Ethiopian culture. Their open market is made of unique architectural character that interacts with the urban scale. This leads to the historical markets of Merkato losing the strong visual image that combines individual and personal in the unity of harmonious exterior spaces.

I would like to thank God the almighty for being there all the way and the peoples he gave me to help me in all my responsibilities in preparing the paper, the Addis Ababa science and technology university for giving this chance of gaining great knowledge and mainly our teacher and adviser Dr. Daniel Lirebo for providing a very encouraging helping hand and be positive in all the way through without being exhausted in any point.

Considering equally that adequate preservation and accessibility of the historic property. It constitutes a major contribution to the social and economic development of countries and regions. Which possess such a treasure of man-kind utilizing promoting national and international tourism.

To enhance the functional value of the open market. This can be achieved by providing a greater hierarchy of spaces and circulation pathways such as from small to larger isles within the iconic market places like “tera”. This will help reduce the sense of crowding and make the market more legible. People will have a better cognitive map of the market layout. This also increases the sense of mystery via the ability to wander through the displays and discover things.

Preserving all the old open markets will not be possible given the pressure from the economy and the global economic trends. However, there should be some mechanism to preserve some portion of the old market while bringing new developments. There must be some offices under the municipality to undertake this. It reacquires an integrated approach between stacking holds such as the land management office, the city planning office, infrastructure provides electric water and sanitation, trade and market manager office.

The architectural and urban developmental program should be creating the scene of the place. Through implementing the house condition of the market areas, it does not change the scale and nature of the market place. Mitigating the negative impacts of global economic competition through sustaining the iconic market clusters. The “culture-led” projects aiming to reactivate the urban economy and improve the public space. The spread of redevelopment based on contemporary architecture for new cultural facilities has been accused of threatening to preserve the traditional functions of the cities. A mix of historical heritage and dramatic modern buildings through the balance of a skyline reduces the challenge and character.

• Merkato- Italian name “Mercato indigino” which means in Italian the market for natives or indigenous market.

• Gulits- Its Amharic term which means an open air market that place in street or main area of market place.

• Tera- Its clusters of different market typologies in Merkato area.

• Bomb tera-A clusters shops that resealing material such house commodities and construction material.

• Military tera- A Carpet and decorative housing equipment shopping center.

• Dubai tera- It’s a clusters of discount clothing and shoe stores.

• Goma tera- Is market typology that related to the production of the re use tire.

• Sidamo tera- Is the area that all iron workers are gathered.

• Menalesh tera- It’s one of the largest market cluster in Merkato. These areas can resale the used material and anything can get in this place.