The State of Buildings project brings spaces from across Singapore's timeline into productive relationships. These connections reveal not only histories, but also fundamental Singaporean orientations that hopefully arouse contemplation about its future.
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.
Eugene Tan is currently pursuing his Master of Architecture at Yale University, and received his B.A. (Arch) First Class Honours from the National University of Singapore. He views State of Buildings as a central part of his work, which is situated at the intersection of politics, architectural design, and individual agency.
Kelly Koh is currently in the Master of Architecture programme at the University of Michigan, where she is exploring the potentialities of texts in architectural speculation. She received her B.A. (Arch) First Class Honours from the National University of Singapore. When not dreaming up alternative worlds she reads about them from the comfort of her very real home.
Patricia Chia attained her M.Arch from Princeton University, and B.A. (Arch) First Class Honours from the National University of Singapore. She also spent a semester on exchange at the ETH Zurich. Her interests lie in the intersection between urban networks and identity, having pursued academic work related to these issues sited in the U.S., Mexico, Guatemala, Zurich, and Singapore.
Daniel Ng is currently pursuing his Bachelor's Degree in Architecture at the National University of Singapore. Besides architecture, he loves trying different cuisines or whipping up a meal or two. An avid Liverpool fan, he joins his kakis for a round of soccer whenever he has the time.
Wong Chun Kit is currently pursuing his Bachelor's Degree in Architecture at the National University of Singapore. He enjoys participating in architectural discussions that pique his curiosity about Singapore and its ever-changing built environment. As an aquascaping beginner, he is looking forward to starting his first freshwater aquarium.