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The First Void Deck
Hourglass, Concrete Debris, Metal Signage, Metal Rod, Photographies
0.1 The Evolution of Singapore’s HDB Void Decks
For many Singaporeans, the void deck is a cherished space filled with memories. Unique to HDB blocks, the term “void deck” refers to the open ground-floor area where residents gather, children play, and community events like weddings and funeral wakes are held (National Heritage Board, 2013).
The first void deck appeared in 1963 at Jalan Klinik Block 26, though it wasn’t widely implemented until 1973, when Minister E.W. Barker suggested raising buildings to provide sheltered spaces for children. Void decks were originally intended to be functional, providing ventilation and flood prevention. They also served as gathering places for residents who were newly resettled from kampong villages. Initially, HDB focused on maximizing housing units, so early blocks didn’t have void decks. In fact, ground-floor flats were initially popular due to their easy access to the outdoors. However, as these units were often near rubbish chutes and lacked privacy, demand waned. In response, the HDB began leaving ground floors free of housing units, instead filling these areas with amenities like shops, playgrounds, and workshops. By the 1970s, void decks became standard, providing open areas that enhanced airflow, offered shelter, and created space for community events, celebrations, and social functions.
Interestingly, the term “void deck” did not exclusively refer to the ground floor. In the late 1960s, newspapers used the term to describe transition floors in mixed-use buildings, like the space between a shopping podium and the residential tower above it. This level was often used for playgrounds and other community facilities. By 1976, however, the term had become widely associated with the open ground floors of HDB blocks. Over the years, void decks became integral to community life. They were even used as polling stations for the first time in the 1980 general election.
In newer estates, void decks have been reduced or replaced with alternatives like “precinct pavilions,” rooftop gardens, or sky gardens. Some new designs have moved communal spaces to mid-levels or integrated them with landscaped areas. While many residents miss the traditional void deck as a nostalgic community space, others welcome these modern alternatives as part of today’s urban living (Koh, 2015).
0.2 The White Cube and the Exploded Cube
In The Ideology of the Gallery Space, Brian O’Doherty critiques the “white cube” gallery as an environment that manipulates the viewer’s perception of art. The white cube, with its sterile walls and neutral atmosphere, creates a controlled and isolating space where time seems to stand still, elevating art and its market value by placing it within a controlled, exclusive setting. O’Doherty argues that this seemingly neutral space is far from it; rather, it is carefully curated to shape how the viewer experiences art, often reinforcing the power dynamics and commercial interests of the art world (Herbert, 2021). In essence, the white cube serves not just as a space for viewing art but as a tool for enforcing a particular ideology around art—one that is detached from everyday life and limited to those with access to this exclusive space.
In contrast, the “exploded cube” concept challenges this notion, encouraging art to break free from the confines of a controlled space. Instead of isolating art, the exploded cube seeks to integrate it into everyday life, making it accessible, relatable, and contextually meaningful.
0.3 Why is the Void Deck an “Exploded Cube”?
The void deck embodies the concept of an “exploded cube” because it breaks away from the restrictive, exclusive boundaries of the traditional gallery space, welcoming all members of the community into an open, dynamic environment where art and life coexist. Unlike the sterile, controlled white cube, which isolates art from its social context and reinforces a hierarchy of viewership, the void deck is an accessible, inclusive space that invites people from all walks of life to participate in communal activities, celebrations, and artistic expressions.
This flexibility allows art to be part of the rhythms of everyday life, as seen in informal murals, cultural events, and the natural patina that forms over time from shared use. By democratizing the experience of art and fostering spontaneous interactions, the void deck challenges the conventions of the white cube, transforming art from an object of detached observation into a lived experience. In this sense, the void deck exemplifies the exploded cube, transcending the walls of traditional galleries to become a true “living gallery” that reflects the collective identity, history, and vibrancy of Singaporean neighborhoods.
0.4 About The First Void Deck
Our project, The First Void Deck, is a site-specific artwork that seeks to embody the principles of the exploded cube by exploring the significance of the first void deck in Singapore. Through a creative and immersive approach, we aim to highlight the cultural importance of the void deck as a unique Singaporean space, breaking away from conventional art presentation methods and encouraging active engagement with the community. The project is presented as three conceptual art pieces, each representing a different dimension of the void deck’s story, told through an “exploded cube” format. Rather than containing the experience within an enclosed venue, these installations motivate viewers to step out, visit the original void deck, and encounter its reality firsthand.
1. The Steps – Language and Physical Distance
The Steps is an interactive signage piece that tracks the physical journey required to reach the first void deck from the viewer’s current location. Inspired by Singapore’s brown heritage signage, it displays the phrase “First Void Deck” in four official languages (English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil). Language here acts as a connector, inviting people from different linguistic and cultural groups to participate in the journey, fostering a sense of inclusivity.
This piece uses the concept of physical distance to explore the relationship between the viewer and the void deck, creating a narrative of both personal and collective journeys to the first void deck. This physical measurement makes the viewer aware of the distance between themselves and the actual site, transforming the void deck from a remote location to an attainable destination. It bridges the gap between art and location, offering a humanistic perspective that encourages the viewer to venture outside the gallery and experience the space in person.
2. The Time – Ontology and Material
The Time uses an hourglass filled with concrete particles to delve into ontology, or the nature of existence and being. Here, the hourglass symbolizes the limited 99-year lease of HDB flats, highlighting the void deck’s temporality and questioning the permanence of spaces that hold cultural significance. The hourglass serves as a poetic symbol of time passing, subtly reminding viewers that these spaces, though integral to Singapore’s community life, are not eternal.
The use of material is significant in this piece. The pulverized concrete debris within the hourglass is not only representative of HDB’s construction material but also acts as a metaphor for the erosion and degradation that comes with time. This material connects the idea of the void deck's tangible, constructed presence with its impermanence, allowing viewers to reflect on the relationship between the space’s physical substance and its existential limits.
3. The Shades – Social and Historical Dimensions
The Shades contains 16 photographic pieces focusing on the surface of the first void deck’s walls, capturing the gradual changes in its shades of white. This piece speaks to the social dimension by highlighting the traces of community interactions, showing how the void deck is a living record of the everyday lives, events, and moments that have marked the space over time. The wear, markings, and multiple layers of paint reveal a collective history—imprints of the people who have used and shaped the void deck.
The color codes used for the walls, along with the photographs, tell the story of the historical dimension of the space’s transformation, from its original construction to its present state. Through this visual record, The Shades explores how the void deck has become a living archive, bearing witness to the diverse activities of the community.
This artwork invites people to discover the first void deck’s authentic presence—not just as an art object to be observed, but as a living space to be felt, experienced, and explored. By encouraging personal exploration, it challenges the manipulative neutrality of the white cube, urging viewers to uncover the truth of the void deck’s cultural and historical significance on their own terms. In this way, The First Void Deck dismantles the passive role of the spectator, inviting a journey of discovery that honors the ontology of the space itself. Void deck is not just a typical communal space but an evolving symbol of community life, identity, and shared history.
Reference:
Koh, J. (2015). Void decks: An iconic feature of HDB flats. National Library Board Singapore.
https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=e342b869-736c-4e4c-a346-47b164663572#:~:text=Void%20decks%20are%20the%20open,(HDB)%20blocks%20of%20flats.&text=The%20first%20block%20with%20a,an%20open%20space%20for%20residents.
National Heritage Board. (2013). Void decks: History, heritage, significance. National Heritage Board. https://www.nhb.gov.sg/~/media/nhb/files/resources/publications/ebooks/nhb_ebook_void_decks.pdf
Herbert, M. (2021). What the ‘white cube’ means now. ArtReview. https://artreview.com/what-the-white-cube-means-now/