In my prior blogs, I discussed places which were formative for me principally through either education or competition, though admittedly my interpersonal experiences are what really make those places stand out in my memory. Here, I will bring forth a building which is material to me for different reasons, and whose place in my personal architectural canon cannot go without mention.

Super Cao Nguyen is easily the largest exotic marketplace in Oklahoma City, and likely the largest business in the city’s Asian District. Architecturally, the building is memorable, though not especially distinct- at the end of the day, it mostly resembles any given supermarket. Some exceptions might be its prominent vestibule, with large, intricate windows, unique bollards emblazoned with (what I believe are) Chinese characters, and pastel-green pillars with an identity obviously derived from traditions of the orient. What distinguishes the building from others at a level of design pertains more to the human element; it is not the support structures or material choices which strike one when entering the space. Rather, the authentically messy and irregular arrangement of the space and products inside, the long, long aisles with shelves stocked full of products which likely cannot be found anywhere else in the country- or at least in this part of the country-, each shelf topped with large furniture pieces or boxes of product precariously stacked atop one another. The way the space feels like it is run by and patronized by real people, rather than algorithms and market research teams, that is what stands out about it. A beautiful, comforting chaos.

My personal experience of the place, while certainly extensive with regards to the store itself, stems more from a restaurant contained within Super Cao’s ancillary space, visible in the above photograph to the far right with the high windows. In that tall space, always illuminated primarily, if not exclusively, by the light from those windows, the store keeps many of its statues and large exotic plants. And if one finds the staircase to the right and ascends it, they will exit onto a platform overlooking the space, from which they can reach Cafe Oasis. It is this strange little space which I associate most with this building. Located walking distance from my high school, my friends and had countless sojourns here, wherein we would discuss the trials and tribulations of the last phase of compulsory education, laugh over whatever silliness had transpired in our lives or on the internet recently, and sometimes ponder on the future, the big questions of life, and, frankly, do everything in our power to forestall going home. Cafe Oasis and Super Cao Nguyen do not speak to my own personal development so far, nor do they furnish me with opportunities to build the future. Much like my high school, they are the past. But they are a past I can return to anytime I want some Singapore noodles and boba tea.