“What is familiarly known is not properly known just for the reason that it is familiar”

G.W.F. Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, 1807

These were small projects that formed part of my design studio projects which focuses on the urban ‘familiarity’ and ‘temporariness’. Food carts or mobile stalls at the familiar corner within the city are the primary research topic in which students are required to record, document and analyze the assigned area and the surrounding context; placement of the stalls, how the stalls are connected to the pedestrian, the street and the vehicles; details of the stalls and its set up, which includes method and procedure for the food preparation.

figure 1: Alfred Yap’s documentray of fried chicken stall at Wayang Street; explored on the food cart set-up and its relationship to the five foot way of the old shophouses along Wayang Street.

The works are not intended as a measured drawings type of documentary. Our aim is to explore and present a set of relationships between familiar and unfamiliarity. In this research, we valued the existence of simple stalls as part of the urban fabric. We intended to inspire the students to be a bit more sensitive and observant to our urban fabric and culture, through recording and documenting in analytical and systematic manner; hopefully the outcome will provide some useful and immediate information in the future, particularly to the architects, architecture students and those who are interested and concerned about urban design in the area of preserving the living culture in our city.

figure 2: Before and after set-up (method of assembling and dismantling)

figure 3: The compositional exploded diagram that introduce the students with the idea of ‘element’ and ‘kit-of-parts’ architecture.

figure 6: Stall set-up and assemble method at Petanak Central Market with the mini-trolley.

figure 7: The Sunny Hill ‘Ice Cream Station’ by Louis De Rozario focused on the context of ‘signage impression’ as the primary element

figure 8: James Yeo analysed the mobility of Sin Shin kolo mee stall at Green Road through time-lapse manner

Tay Tze Yong, INTODESIGN Lab