It is a well-known fact that Singapore’s physical development and quality of life are competitive strengths to attract talents, investments and visitors. With increasing globalisation, many successful cities have found that a high quality urban environment achieved through excellent architecture and urban design can set a city apart from others. Outstanding architecture and urban design also bring tangible economic and financial dividends. It attracts talents, businesses, tourists, fosters creativity, and engenders a sense of rootedness among the citizens.
URA has been making a concerted effort to raise the awareness of architecture and urban design excellence amongst the architectural and building community. Over the past few years, URA has also reached out to the general public, as part of a long-term goal to have enlightened property owners, developers and members of the public who can appreciate well-designed buildings and public spaces.
A local architecture exhibition hosted by URA.
One Big Playground in the South
To encourage a more vibrant and design-conscious community, URA's Architecture & Urban Design Excellence (A●UDE) programme was set up in 2005 to promote and raise the awareness of good design in Singapore's built environment. It does this through a variety of initiatives and outreach programmes for both the general public and industry professionals. These include exhibitions, talks, seminars, workshops and design competitions.
A good example is the Young Urbanist Programme workshop held in March 2008. Thirty students from Radin Mas Primary School and River Valley Primary School were introduced to the principles of urban design and planning, which made them more aware of the built environment.
URA has also hosted both local and overseas exhibitions, including the Singapore 1:1 City and Singapore 1:1 Island exhibitions - which together showcased the architecture of over 120 significant buildings throughout Singapore over the last 40 years. World-renowned architects such as Toyo Ito, Eugene Kohn, Moshe Safdie, Daniel Libeskind, and Shigeru Ban have shared their design philosophy and projects at talks organised by URA. These public talks and forums are very popular amongst practising architects, academics and students, who have found them enriching and insightful.
In 2006, URA, together with the DesignSingapore Council, launched the inaugural President’s Design Award. This is the nation’s highest honour for our local designers and designs. On top of acknowledging the good work and contribution of our local designers, the Award also serves to inspire the local design community towards excellence in design.
Highlighting the importance of urban design in Singapore, URA’s CEO and chair of the Architecture and Urban Design Jury Panel Mrs Cheong Koon Hean commented: “Urban design is about making connections between people and places, movement and urban form, nature and built fabric. Singapore has succeeded in marrying architecture with sensitive urban design to capture the heart and soul of a place. This is what makes our city endearing to Singaporeans and visitors alike.”
Raising the Antenna for Architecture
To remain at the forefront of global architectural and urban design trends, new initiatives are important for setting the pace and achieving constant innovation and renewal in the local scene.
As such, URA will continue to have a keen eye for programmes and initiatives that will raise greater awareness of architecture and urban design. Good architecture and design is, after all, for the people and not just about iconic buildings or structures alone.
A●UDE Promotion Programme (A●UDE PP)
The A●UDE Promotion Programme was launched in 2005 as a seed fund to encourage and co-sponsor private organisations and individuals to initiate activities which promote architecture and urban design in Singapore. The Approving Committee, chaired by the CEO of URA, comprises members from both the public and private sectors, with representatives from various architecture and urban design-related disciplines. As a seed fund, the A●UDE PP has catalysed and brought to fruition a diverse range of private-led initiatives through creative collaboration. To date, the programme has facilitated 17 projects, including workshops, publications, A●UDE-related events, exhibitions, research studies and competitions. Some of these include:
STAMP
STAMP was a public art competition, where 40 postboxes in the city centre were painted with winning designs from over 1,000 submissions that depicted the character and history of the postboxes locations. The competition brought students, families and community groups together to help beautify their street environment.
Design My Place (DMP) Workshop
The DMP workshop was aimed at exposing secondary students to the basics of architectural thinking and elements of urban design. They were tasked to improve the connectivity of Bukit Timah, and to transform the area’s landmark canal into an activity hub. The workshop proceedings and design proposals were made available online through a video on YouTube, an online forum, and blogs for sharing and discussion.
Singapore Archifest
URA is an active supporter of the Singapore ArchiFest and provides co-funding for the event through the A●UDE Promotion Programme. The annual event, organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), is an architectural festival that celebrates the built environment. The festival seeks to promote a vibrant design culture and consequently, a design conscious society. It does so by encouraging and guiding the general public and design professionals in all fields to interact in a fun and carefree atmosphere.
After a successful debut in 2007, the Singapore ArchiFest made its second run this year with the theme, Man+Environment. Other than the forum with its panel of international speakers, the month-long festival also saw some fascinating exhibitions by local and overseas architects. It included fringe events, such as a joint National University of Singapore Department of Architecture and URA seminar on Singapore’s built heritage, as well as complimentary tours at URA’s Singapore City Gallery.