Korenbeurs, Neoclassical grain exchange in Groningen, Netherlands.
The Korenbeurs is a neoclassical grain exchange in Groningen featuring a symmetrical design built with cast iron and extensive glass panels. These windows flood the central market hall with natural light.
This grain trading center was built in 1865 during Groningen's peak period of grain cultivation. It replaced an earlier trading location that had stood on the west side of Vismarkt.
The three statues decorating the building represent Mercury, Neptune, and Ceres, symbolizing trade, water transport, and agriculture that shaped Groningen's economy. They serve as reminders of how these activities once defined the city's prosperity.
The building is located at Akerkhof 1 and now houses an Albert Heijn supermarket. As a protected national monument since 1971, it remains accessible and easily found in the city center.
The interior was designed with an innovative 19th-century system where merchants displayed grain samples in small bags for buyers to inspect. Natural light from the glass panels allowed buyers to carefully assess the quality of each sample.
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