We relate to Singapore's spatiality at two scales: the person (building), and the nation (city). We search not only for the tales behind architecture, but the human encounters that surround them. Appreciating that Singapore is a construction, a brand with a unique development history, we aim to unpack how ideas of nation are tied to intimate narratives. We hope that the inquiry of either, brings about a new understanding of both 'Singapores', our State of Buildings.
We invite readers to use the things we call heritage, memory and nostalgia as ways to confront the present, and consider where Singapore's is headed.
State of Buildings was first made possible by the Kumpulan Akitek Prize, awarded by the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore, and further supported by the National Heritage Board, Singapore. We owe a debt of gratitude not only to these institutions, but the many individuals who have donated to our cause in one way or the other. Thank you.