Yuetong Wu - AD1 Paihia Farmers Market

Paihia Farmers Market

ABSTRACT

While the prioritization of speed and convenience has led to an architecture design around efficiency, diverse experience and direct interaction with food and food producers that you would get from supermarkets has largely contributed to our unsustainable model of food production and consumption culture. This project investigates the interaction between food and people, in order to elicit memories and reminiscences, thus fostering an unique experience. This narrative driven project is a critique against the ‘Big Food’ by utilizing memories and experience, discovering unique experiences. The project employs three vehicles of design, critiques of countdown, creating food related memories and experiences, engaging people and providing food education. Taking over the rooftop of the existing Countdown on site as a critique against monopolization of big food. A new lightweight poly carbonate roof top market is to propose the celebration of local products, the various advertisements by countdown, using this advantageous location on the site, these advertisements could also be used to propagate the local food market. The cheese workshop, it’s an engaging space for food education, located beside Williams house, facing toward the trees, the building form is inspired by melting cheese. This space is a transition and connection space between the fish market hall and Countdown retrofitting building. The ‘sea speaker’ fish market hall, located near the stream, facing toward the sea, the organic building form is inspired by seafood and waves. There are three ‘cone’ like spaces that are about sensory experience related to the ocean, creating joyful memories while tasting food. Monotonous experiences in supermarkets are largely caused by Big Food’s emphasis on hierarchy and order. In reaction to that model, This project explores the relationship between food, architecture and memories by designing pavilions scattered throughout the site, each with unique characteristics inspired by northland local produce and the site characteristics. By interacting with different pavilions, visitors of these markets are exposed to a variety of experiences, creating memories that strengthen their connections with locally-sourced food. This Paihia farmers market is memorable, an experience shaped by interaction between food, architecture and people.