This series is inspired by the National Heritage Board's new digital photography project entitled
, in which four local photographers have captured oft-overlooked features of 12 hawker centres in Singapore. In each edition, we'll highlight one awesome hawker centre and the mouth-watering makan you can find there.One of the most recognisable landmarks in Tampines, the Tampines Round Market & Food Centre and its adjacent shophouses have served as a social and commercial hub for Tampines residents since its opening in 1983.
Aspects of its architecture and activity have been captured by local photographer Rebecca Toh in a series of images that are part of NHB's digital photography project, "Our Hawker Culture: Built for Great Taste".In the early 1980s, HDB envisioned the phasing out of traditional wet markets in response to changing lifestyles and the growing popularity of supermarkets. Hence, the Round Market was expected to be one of the last few wet markets to be built.
While the market’s hawkers draw customers from all over the island with the quality of their food, nearby banks and shops made this area a bustling hive of activity, especially before the massive shopping malls in Tampines Central were developed.There is also a strong sense of camaraderie amongst the hawkers at the market – some of whom have been operating their stalls for more than three decades.