Farmer Market Lab | Revolution of Chowrasta Market

Farmer market lab is market that comprises of market with fresh produce product and culinary training center. The evolution of Chowrasta Market took place together with its appreciation of socio cultural and architectural aspects in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Georgetown, Penang.

The key issues arising from this are the existing building condition and the decay of architecture and cultural heritage character of the market.Proposal and recommendations for managing the use of the land and the buildings are synthesize which consider the basic for decision making for the redesign and upgrading of the market buildings in order to preserve their primary function and maintain the cultural values.

Therefore, “Pulse of the City” concept was introduced in order to rehabilitate the existing market and attract more crowds to upper level of the building. Meanwhile, it provides culinary training center which helps to prepare the food for the customer of the market and the eatery which located at the central core. Every morning the market hosts a street market featuring locally produced products, Chinese praying goods, kitchenware, and etc. 

A monthly rotating culinary training center cook the vegetation which harvested by the students. The vegetation is watered by the rainwater and gray water that harvested and treated in the central structure. This transaction structure also help to provide energy efficient cooling for the market area and help to increase energy efficiency compared to the old Chowrasta market.The waste product will be treated as the fertilizer at roof top and produce biomass energy as alternatives for sustainable development.