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Raking view of entrance facade with new glass and restored cast iron Beaux-Arts details; It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural (a cultural monument) in 2000. The iron-and-glass Mercado opened in May 1916, a monument to modernism and new ideas on hygiene, reminiscent of Les Halles in Paris. Eventually all but abandoned, the building fell into disrepair. Restoration began after private investors bought the building in 2003. In a nod to living green, instead of air-conditioning, the air is infused with water droplets; every few minutes shoppers are bathed in a blast of micro-rain. Today there are 33 vendors (including bars and restaurants as well as produce) under the cast iron and wood roof. New granite floors have been added. Source: New York Times [online archive]; http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/nytarchive.html (accessed 5/6/2013)