Thomas Foon Chew x Sobrato

Sobrato real estate recently acquired the historic Bayside Cannery property in Los Gatos, CA. To properly commemorate the site's history, they enlisted Volume Inc. to design a memorial exhibition and totem meant to capture the life and legacy of Thomas Foon Chew. Foon Chew was the owner of Bayside Cannery, one of the largest fruit canneries in the Los Gatos valley during the 1920s. A Chinese immigrant, Foon Chew was one of the few cannery owners to employ immigrants, women, and other minority communities at the time.

Drawing inspiration from the boxes, cans, and typographic treatments on Bayside Cannery labels, we designed a modular interior exhibit to capture the life and legacy of Thomas Foon Chew and his business. Exhibit colors were derived from the famous Calico pear label, giving the exhibit a spirit that is both contemporary and historical.

The site is complete with an exterior exhibit totem for visitors who might not see the interior exhibit. Foon Chew is most famous for being the first to successfully can asparagus, dubbing him the "Asparagus King".