Design to whet appetites: Floating hawker centres

Local dishes such as chicken rice and prawn noodles may soon be enjoyed in hawker centres floating on the water - if the design proposed by architectural firm Spark Architects takes off.

Floating hawker centres could be launched in water bodies in areas like Marina Bay, Kallang or Punggol, said the firm's director, Mr Stephen Pimbley, at a media event yesterday.

The centres could take the form of a "solar orchid", consisting of circular pods arranged in the shape of a flower when viewed from above.

Each cluster can seat about 150 people and accommodate about 7 hawker stalls.

The centres will be self-sustaining as the electricity required for the running of lights and fans will be powered by photovoltaic cells on its roof. The cells will be able to convert sunlight into electricity.

The design is in its preliminary phase, with a possible list of partners for the project still being firmed up, said Mr Pimbley.

"The design aims to reignite the relationship that Singaporeans have with water, like they had in the past," he added.

This article was first published on July 05, 2014.
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