Village Super Market

A Blooming Hub Where Farmers Harvest Futures

Envision a sun-dappled marketplace where the hum of haggling meets the whisper of innovation—a sprawling sanctuary that empowers rural voices to thrive in a global chorus. Village Super Market (VSM), realized by Tjep. in 2018 in collaboration with Vaastukalpa Architects for the Solidaridad Network, reimagines the humble village bazaar as a catalyst for sustainable prosperity in Bangladesh's Khulna district, blending age-old artisanal rhythms with forward-thinking facilities to uplift smallholder farmers, women, and communities along the fertile deltas.

Echoes of Arots: Traditional Huts Reborn in Brick and Bamboo

This 3,300 sqm haven on a 2-acre site draws poetic inspiration from the region's iconic arots—those nimble wooden trader huts—elevating them into sturdy red-brick pavilions clad in local motifs, their tensile canopies unfurling like lotus petals to flood stalls with golden daylight. Along the main axis, 1,637 sqm of vibrant market space buzzes with horticultural and aquacultural bounty, while perpendicular wings house education and social realms: an information center, retail nooks, and administration offices that weave commerce with communal uplift.

Dutch Flair in Bengali Motifs: A Cultural Clock Gable Gateway

Infused with Tjep.'s signature Dutch pragmatism, the entrance proudly sports a whimsical clock gable—a nod to the Netherlands' enduring partnership via the SaFaL program—framing gateways etched with swirling Bengali patterns that honor ancient mosques and temples. Locally sourced bamboo frames the structures, while concrete slabs and tile-clad bases ensure resilience against the delta's monsoons, merging Frank Tjepkema's vision of "uniting the modern and the traditional" with the raw beauty of red-kiln bricks fired from the very earth they stand upon.

Tech Village Wings: Processing Power for Perishable Dreams

Beyond the bazaar, outbuildings sprout like innovative tendrils: a 1,210 sqm tech village humming with state-of-the-art cooling and processing hardware, storage vaults for safeguarding harvests, packing zones for market-ready precision, and even a serene prayer room for moments of reflection. Here, disadvantaged workers gain skills to meet international standards, turning vulnerable produce into economic engines that ripple through Bagherhat, Jessore, Satkhira, and beyond—fostering social cohesion one traded tomato at a time.

Tjep.'s Provocative Harvest in Global Solidarity

More than a market, VSM is Tjep.'s ironic ode to abundance: a fusion of streetwise stalls and enlightened infrastructure that echoes the self-sufficient dreams of our Oogst series, challenging rural isolation with empowered connectivity. As the first of its kind, funded by the Dutch Embassy, it seeds a network of resilient villages, proving that true design harvests not just crops, but dignity and destiny.

Sowing Prosperity, One Stall at a Time

Expansive yet intimate, it demonstrates that a single marketplace can cultivate waves of change. Explore more of Tjep.'s world-shaping wonders on Tjep.com, where we design not just spaces, but stories of sustainable splendor.