We didn’t want to be left out of the whole SG50 celebrations (Singapore’s 50th birthday for our international friends) and so we made our own Tile Tote to commemorate this year, the 50th year of our little red dot’s independence.
Our SG50 Tile Tote is a limited edition release inspired by the multicultural mixing pot that is Singapore. We looked to the built environment of our young country for inspiration, and went to four neighbourhoods of heritage context to look for surface stories in the paths walked before us.
We chose tiles from the five footways of shophouses in Joo Chiat, Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India. Five footways, also known as kaki lima in Malay, are an integral part of communal living providing shelter and respite from the busy street and are a buffer to the inner space of the shophouse.
Inspired by the notion that four distinct patterns when placed together form new meaning at the meeting point, we designed this Tile Tote that represents our design principle of looking backward to move forward. It is a durable and versatile carrier with significant handles that we are sure will stand the test of time.
Clockwise from top left: 23 Koon Seng Road, Peranakan Houses / 20 Ann Siang Hill, Chinatown / 25 Bussorah Street, Kampong Glam / 68 Buffalo Road, Little India
For more inspiration of heritage tiles in Singapore, check out #sgsurfacestories, a campaign in collaboration with Explore Singapore in August that culminated in a workshop at kapok that combined laser cut blocks and traditional techniques of printing.
