MEET’N MEAL Installation by O&O Studio and REhyphenation
O&O Studio and REhyphenation collaborate on spatial and cultural installation Meet’n Meal, taking part in the Sai Kung Hoi Arts Festival, in Hong Kong. The project explores the relationship between architecture, cultural heritage, and community gathering, reinterpreting Hakka traditions through spatial design, and using a dining table as the central element to symbolize reunion and shared history. The three-year pilot tourism project Sai Kung Hoi Arts Festival aims to diversify the tourism offerings and enrich local and non-local visitors’ experience. The installation is located at the historic front wall of a former village house, a key site reflecting the island’s past. A circular table, constructed from steel framing, fiberglass, and stone-textured paint, references the island’s salt pans, an essential element of its economy and cuisine. The round shape signifies inclusivity and community participation, while the design draws inspiration from the Chinese hieroglyph for ‘Home’ (家) and incorporates symbolic references to traditional village life.
Rather than relying on physical artifacts, the project collects oral histories and Hakka culinary traditions to evoke memories. Sixteen plates, including traditional Hakka bowls, feature AI-generated representations of local dishes such as fish, puffer fish, pork stew, steamed glutinous rice cake, and glass candy, highlighting the historical and cultural significance of food in the village. The plates are created using vibrant mosaics, mirroring the stained glass of the island’s Catholic church and symbolizing the connection between past and present.
A bird’s-eye view of Yim Tin Tsai with the pier, church and cultural relics museum, while Meet’n Meal is hidden in the land filled with plant and trees (Photo by Ji Xiang)
Meet’n Meal, Yim Tin Tsai, Hong Kong (Photo by Ji Xiang)
Meet’n Meal at the front yard of the historic wall as the site (Photo by Ji Xiang)
Inspired by Chinese Hieroglyph of the word “HOME家” the design evokes old village house wall that shelters poultry in the yard. The character of “PIG豕” is creatively integrated into the table design
Glass Candy, and the stainless steel plates capture and reflect the surrounding environment and sunlight, creating a dynamic interplay of light and reflections. (Photo by Eric Chan)
Pork Stew (Photo by Eric Chan)
Fish (Photo by Eric Chan)
Crab (Photo by Eric Chan)
inviting visitors to step into the dining space and immerse themselves in the rich culinary heritage of Yim Tin Tsai (Photo by Xi Jiang)
Key dished presented in mosaic (Photo by Eric Chan)
Inspired by Chinese Hieroglyph of the word “HOME家” the design evokes old village house wall that shelters poultry in the yard. The character of “PIG豕” is creatively integrated into the table design
Design Drawing (Illustration by O&O Studio)
project info:
name: MEET’N MEAL
designer: O&O Studio | @o_and_o_studio
collaborator: REhyphenation | @rehyphenation
location: Yim Tin Tsai, Sai Kung, Hong Kong, China
area: 30 sqm
design team O&O Studio: Eric Chan, Suzanne Li, Hazel Fung,
design team REhyphenation: Joyce Fok
organizer: Hong Kong Tourism Commission
curatorial partner: One Bite Design Studio
photographer: Jason Ji, Eric Chan
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
