DESIGN WITH SENSES
CHOCHA FOODSTORE PETALING STREET
Given the physical nature of the built environment, it would be easy to assume that the visual qualities of spaces dominate our perception of a building. However, many artists and architects have experimented with specific sensory devices over the years, proving that every sense can be significant in transforming the experiential qualities of architecture. How can we design buildings that stimulate our senses, follow our human needs and allow us to live in balance with nature?
The building I choose to study is Chocha Foodstore Petaling Street KL. The sense I take for granted most about Chocha Foodstore is 'sight'. While it’s easy to mourn the gentrification of Petaling Street and the proliferation of ‘hipster’ cafes in Old KL, we’re glad to see Chocha Foodstore setting up shop in the abandoned Mah Lian Hotel. Meaning ‘sit and drink tea’ in the Hakka dialect, Chocha is a space where you can do just that – sit down with friends over a pot of specialty tea or two. It’s also a tribute of sorts to the Malaysian yum cha culture.
Located a couple of doors away from Merchant’s Lane and PS150, Chocha Foodstore is one of the most visually stunning cafés we’ve seen this year: classic pastel tiles galore which vary from room to room, a sun-drenched central courtyard lined with potted herbs, clusters of vintage glass lamps dangling over a long wooden tables in a corner. Architect and owner Shin Chang (also UCSI’s lecturer) of MentahMatter Design (the second floor of the building houses the office and a co-working area) has transformed the space while keeping the structure (raw concrete walls and all) intact. Fun fact: the colourful tiles and grilles at Chocha are all original fittings from Mah Lian Hotel. According to Shin Chang, they hope this project of theirs will set an example and help in the effort to stop unnecessary demolition of old buildings in KL.
Chocha Foodstore on the other hand, showcases nostalgic moments in a two-storeys Chinatown shop house that has withstood the ravages of time. Rusty torn walls, exposed bricks, ancient patterned floor tiles, plenty of olden charm are remained untouched by purpose, creating an ambience that put contrast to many other cafes with modern vibe.
Besides that, as a tribute to Chinatown, the two-page menu (by Shin Chang’s partners- Penny Ng and Youn Chang) is dedicated to Malaysian-inspired dishes with local ingredients. There’s kerabu mango slaw, cincalok fried chicken, charred eggplant belado. I go for the Chinese pesto flat noodles – satisfyingly chewy handmade noodles with ulam pesto, semi-dried tomatoes and crushed peanuts.
For now, only the ground floor is open to the public, but exciting things are ahead: there will be a coffee bar, a bike workshop, a small design bookstore, wine bar, all targeted to launch in October. Despite fully attention of most current architects to the sense of eyesight, architecture stimulates all of our senses. As a conclusion, we should pay attention to the practice of senses, as this helps us to see every items brilliant and feel them with deeper perception in order to find its real meaning.