2 March, Saturday: Not All Heroes Wear Capes - Nani Kahar on Social Architecture in Central Market Three years ago, Nani received a troubling call, most of the tenants of Central Market had left as the full brunt of the Covid aftermath had kicked in. The owners of the venue had such problems with getting merchants back to the place, hence they sought the designer to stand in place to salvage the situation. But why Nani? As a young girl, she had walk through its magical corridors many a times. In the 1980s, when she joined a group of social activists to save the Central Market from demolishment. Before the recent programmes, Central Market was a tourist-centric space with 70% of visitors coming in as tourists and only 30% locals visit the space. Since inception, Central Market has pulled in visitors with its narrative as a heritage building and holds many crafts, artisanal and collectibles for tourists. “Transforming spaces into a place of engagement is a space of attachment which builds place and brand loyalty”. She sees Central Market as a place that become a community-centric space whereby it becomes a place for all walks of life to come and interact as part of the economy. It will be a marketplace for modern design, creative SMEs, food, and culture, bringing in a higher percentage of locals into the venue. On the ground, we have been seeing the venue become a place for budding young entrepreneurs, turning the once old and dusty place into a melting pot for arts, food and events.