Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis

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Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis

Information

  • Project Name: Pasar Kita
  • Student Name: Nur Nadira Hadina
  • Softwares/Plugins: SketchUp , AutoCAD , Enscape , Adobe Photoshop
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Excerpt: ‘Pasar Kita’ is a Bachelors Design Thesis by Nur Nadira Hadina from the ‘School of Architecture, Building and Design – Taylor’s University.’ This project seeks to reimagine the traditional market as an inclusive community space that celebrates everyday rituals, cultural identity, and social interaction. By integrating sustainable strategies, thoughtful spatial planning, and local cultural elements, the design creates a vibrant environment where commerce, community, and heritage coexist and evolve over time.

Introduction: This project reimagines Melaka through the idea of a “pasar” as a space for everyone, inspired by the designer’s mother’s routine of visiting the local market to buy fresh ingredients—a simple yet deeply rooted ritual that reflects care, tradition, and community. The design celebrates everyday life within the market, where conversations, exchanges, and shared routines shape a sense of belonging and reconnect people across generations. More than just a place of transaction, the market is envisioned as a living social space where memories, stories, and cultural practices continue to be shared and passed down.

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Site Context

Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Site Location and Analysis | Sensory Rhythm Analysis

The project responds to the growing gap between the older and younger generations, where interactions have become more distant, while also addressing how Baba Nyonya culture is gradually being forgotten. At the same time, Melaka’s surroundings are facing issues of pollution and noise, and Jonker Walk has become increasingly saturated with cafés and bars, slowly losing its original cultural value and sense of authenticity.

Design Process

Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Analyzing People’s Behaviour | Programming

The design process began by observing people’s behavior in wet markets, including activities such as setting up stalls, comparing products, exchanging money, and moving through crowded aisles. These observations highlighted how body movement and spatial conditions influence user experience. Insights from this study informed the spatial planning, zoning, and circulation design.

Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Case Study

A case study of La Boqueria Market also guided material, lighting, and interior strategies to create a functional and engaging market environment.

Final Outcome

Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Project Illustration
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Section
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Genesis Hub
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Dry Market Stall

Sustainability is thoughtfully integrated into the design through features such as rainwater collection that supports a hydroponic system, allowing the market to give back to both people and the environment. A unique market layout is paired with Peranakan patterns woven subtly throughout the space, ensuring local culture remains visible, familiar, and alive within a contemporary setting.

Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Render
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Render
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Render

The aim is to create an inclusive and meaningful market where tradition, sustainability, and modern design coexist — not as opposing forces, but as elements that support one another. 

Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Render
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Render
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Physical Model

Conclusion: Ultimately, the project envisions the market as a space that preserves cultural heritage while allowing it to evolve, ensuring that identity, community, and everyday rituals continue to thrive rather than fade away with time.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]

Site Context

Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis

Design Process

Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis

Final Outcome

Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis
Pasar Kita: Reimagining the Public Market as a Space for Community, Culture, and Everyday Life in Melaka | Bachelors Design Thesis

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