By Christian Adriel Tan (26S07B) and Gregory Ng (27S05A)
At 10.30 am, finding a seat in the canteen can feel like a competitive sport. Students weave between pillars carrying plates of prata, friends wave frantically across crowded tables, and latecomers resign themselves to whatever seat remains.
For twenty years, this has been the rhythm of breaks in RI. Soon, however, one of the school’s most familiar spaces will look very different.
Recognising that our beloved canteen is due for a major refresh, the school management team has been working behind the scenes on a full-scale revamp. Led by an internal project team of RI staff, the initiative began by gathering and analysing student feedback to ensure the new design would reflect the diverse needs of the school community.
To support the design process, Singapore Polytechnic’s User Experience Centre (UXC) was brought on as a project consultant. They guided staff and students from SP’s Diploma in Interior Design (DID) and Diploma in Landscape Architecture (DLA) in translating Rafflesians’ feedback into a design proposal that addresses diverse needs.
As we gear up for lessons in Term 3, let’s walk through what awaits us when we return.
Redesign of Dining Areas
Anyone who has eaten in the canteen knows its industrial look: endless rows of benches, two-tone pillars, and little separation between groups of students. The redesign aims to soften that atmosphere, replacing the current seating with a variety of comfortable café-style furniture and introducing more greenery throughout the space.
At the heart of the redesign is a set of design principles characterised as “biophilic” and “user-centric”—an architectural approach that draws inspiration from nature to create spaces that feel more comfortable and inviting. Rather than functioning solely as a place to grab a quick bite during our tight 35-minute lunch breaks, the canteen is intended to become a space for both interaction and relaxation.
To achieve this, the existing concrete columns will be redesigned with sculptural treatments that elevate their industrial appearance, while the new seating will lend the space a warmer feel.
Whether it is a noisy lunch with a large group of friends, a quiet conversation with someone close, or simply a moment of solitude between lessons, the canteen means something different to all of us. The redesigned space seeks to accommodate these different moments. Round tables will allow larger groups to gather, while smaller seating areas will provide a more intimate setting for conversations. For those seeking a break from the bustle of the lunch crowd, the Terrace will offer a more tranquil dining space.
The reconfigured layout will fulfil the canteen’s required capacity of around 1000 seats, accommodating our school’s large population. To improve air flow, the Hodge Lodge has been resized and opened up to allow natural breeze to circulate more freely, creating a cooler and more comfortable dining environment for the whole canteen. As the current teachers’ seating area in the canteen would be taken up for student seating instead, the Hodge Lodge will now be re-designated as a teachers’ dining area.
Of course, this change to the use of the Hodge Lodge is not without its trade-offs. The Hodge Lodge has long served as a valued gathering space for many students. Following discussions with the Students’ Council, both the school management and the councillors have acknowledged this attachment, while also noting that its enclosed design and restricted opening hours meant that it was not accessible to the wider student body for much of the day.
“Sometimes, I cannot find a seat when I go to the canteen, and if I do, it’s usually undesirable, like next to a rubbish bin, too hot, or covered with stains.”
Ong Tsz Xiang (27S06M)
Recognising the Hodge Lodge’s role as a student hangout, the school is also working with the 46th Students’ Council to develop a new student activity space at the Crib, alongside the existing Council rooms. The new space is intended to bring recreational and student leadership activities closer together, with the Council continuing to gather student feedback to shape its final design.
The Stage
“The school really lacks a platform where students can showcase and appreciate visual arts … We only ever glaze over photography in publicity posts without truly recognising their value as ‘true’ art.”
Esther Ho (27S03B)
If you’ve ever washed your hands after returning your tray, you would probably have noticed the stifling heat trapped there by the glass panels.
Thankfully, the new redesign offers a solution to this issue. The Stage will be a new section of the canteen that will replace the current hand-washing station, offering a venue for performances, artwork displays, and possible House procession activities. It will also create an open and welcoming cultural hub within the canteen.
Tray Return Areas and Adoption of Technology
“Cutlery gets used up pretty quickly, especially for non-Halal food. As a result many would have to resort to plastic spoons from the stalls themselves.”
Young Shang Lok (27S06E)
If the tray return stations are going to be replaced by the stage, then…
Where will we return our utensils?
With the canteen’s rejuvenation, gone will be the tray-return trolleys; instead, the last two stalls, Stalls 13 and 14, will be converted into a tray-return station for halal and non-halal food, respectively. This new arrangement will allow cleaners to collect and wash crockery and utensils much quicker, so that we won’t find ourselves frantically hunting for a fork or spoon (or worse, both!) while holding a piping hot bowl of Laksa.
Wait—wasn’t Stall 13 occupied by Asia Ghani Prata Hut? Fret not, for the prata stall will move to the currently unoccupied Stall 11. The stallholders have been kept in the loop and will continue to operate as usual after the renovation.
Multi–use spaces at the Crib and above the Hodge Lodge
If you have been to the Y1-4 canteen, you may have noticed that tucked away at the two ends of the Gryphon’s Lair (the Y1-4 equivalent of the Hodge Lodge) lie two table tennis tables.
With the rejuvenation, similar recreational spaces will also be created on our side of the school. While the second floor of the Hodge Lodge, as well as the Crib, currently feature the same ‘industrial-style’ benches and tables that are seen at the main canteen area, the revamped canteen will see them turned into multi-use spaces that can be easily cleared by folding and moving the dining tables. Table tennis tables and other recreational equipment will also be stored in nearby cabinets, ready to be brought out as needed.
Should the Students’ Council and CCAs wish to utilise these spaces for activities, they can also book these venues as needed.
Expected Timeline
To speed up the renovations, the school is utilising pre-fabrication technology, allowing the majority of the new canteen structures to be built off-site before construction even begins. While these components are being manufactured, on-site demolition works will run concurrently to keep the project on track.
The primary goal during the June holidays is to complete the main dining space. This phase of the project involves swapping out the current floor tiles for a sleek cement finish, upgrading the seating, and installing new High-Volume, Low-Speed (HVLS) fans alongside other modern fixtures. By the first week of Term 3, the canteen rejuvenation is projected to be 80% complete.
A New Chapter
After 20 years of serving generations of Rafflesians, the canteen is entering a new chapter. While change is sometimes uncomfortable, it is also often exciting due to new possibilities, so let’s look forward to the new memories we’ll create in this revitalised space.
