Anything But Void

Hobbyist Jonathan Tan offers a bird's-eye view of old-school stools and tables found in HDB void decks in a photo series, Lepak Downstairs, so named after the colloquial term for hanging out at these communal spaces.

- Neo Xiaobin

For photography enthusiast Jonathan Tan, a void deck of a Housing Board block is anything but void.

Serving as the "living room" of Singapore's public housing, the shared communal space on the ground level is designed to facilitate interaction, recreation and bonding among residents. It is a uniquely Singaporean space for people to meet and mingle.

Mr Tan's photo series, Lepak Downstairs – so named after the colloquial term for hanging out at void decks – highlights the old-school stools and tables found in void decks, with snapshots from a bird's-eye view that bring out their interesting shapes and colours.

"I feel that these public spaces are very representative of Singaporean culture. They're often overlooked and not being talked about enough. Yes, they are not places that tourists would care about. But many Singaporeans care for them because of the nostalgia factor," says the 36-year-old, who works as an advertising account director.