Who: Mr Tung Ching Yew, 48, also known as C.Y. Tung, is the president of the Society of Interior Designers (Singapore). He is also the founder and managing director of award-winning spatial design firm Spirit Of Design Analogy (Soda). Founded in 2010, Soda has completed more than 350 projects across the United States, China and South-east Asia. Mr Tung’s numerous accolades include gold prizes at the French Design Awards in 2024 and the Singapore Interior Design Awards in 2019. He is married with two children. Mr Tung is also an accomplished singer-songwriter and received a National Arts Council grant for pursuing his passion in music in 2015. He continues to write music after hours.

“I am always drawn to my childhood haunt, which is not a single place but an enclave, spanning Katong, East Coast, Joo Chiat and Marine Parade.

Although I now live in Bishan, the places where I grew up have a special hold on me, as they are imbued with a rich blend of personal memories and cultural heritage.

Walking through these streets, I am often reminded of the simple joys of my youth – strolling home from Fowlie Primary School in the 1980s, visiting familiar shops and making friends in the neighbourhood.

The school later merged with Haig Boys’ Primary School and Mountbatten Primary School in 2001, and was renamed Tanjong Katong Primary School.

These sepia-tinged memories create a deep sense of nostalgia, making the area feel like an extension of myself.