Signage and solicitation played a prominent role in characterizing Maxwell Street Market’s identity and attraction during its prosperous years. Comparing it to its current forms of business-to-consumer communication strategies, Maxwell Village is derived from the concept of how architecture can be shaped through marketing and advertisement, both from vendors and through the Maxwell Organization. To maximize its exposure to the greater public, the market is relocated to the unused spaces of the UIC-Halsted Blue line station, allowing better accessibility, convenience, and most importantly noticeability. The Village consists of ten themed structures categorized based on the goods sold, each designed around signage visibility and exposure. However, the market’s spectacle is heavily promoted through the satellite division of the Maxwell Village, which consists of recreating the market on the transit system itself. Each car on the Maxwell Village Train corresponds to a theme from the market, which includes satellite vendors to sell their goods to users who ride this train for their regular commute. These marketing strategies are the building blocks that have driven the design of the market, as a way of restoring its unique identity to contemporary competitive standards. 199
PROJECTS
Manifesto