President’s Design Award 2023: How Designer of the Year Tan Kay Ngee embraces Asian influences in his architectural work
By Toh Ee Ming
A scholar, educator, and architect, Tan Kay Ngee has sustained a notable body of work in Singapore and globally over nearly four decades
One short conversation with architect Tan Kay Ngee reveals his insatiable appetite for knowledge. This is a man who cites literary references to playwrights the likes of William Shakespeare and Anton Chekhov, draws inspiration from Baroque architecture, references American writer Susan Sontag, and counts Laozi and Zhuangzi as his favourite Chinese philosophers.
These wide-ranging interests are a reflection of who he is: an intellectual connoisseur, a modern Renaissance man. Architecture is simply another medium to express his thought and understanding of contemporary living, says Tan, who is the founder and principal architect of Kay Ngee Tan Architects.
The 67-year-old was named one of two recipients for this year's prestigious President’s Design Awards. For Tan, the award signifies an important milestone. Speaking to Tatler Homes Singapore at the Kay Ngee Tan Architects shophouse office in Duxton Hill, Tan describes architecture as a fascinating profession. “The diverse knowledge I gained over the years—be it on construction, environment, history, geography or botanical species—they add up, and enhance the next project I work on. I gain a better understanding of the world in the process.”
A graduate from London's Architectural Association, Tan started his career at Studio Tomassini in Italy and then at Arup Associates in London. In 1990, he established Kay Ngee Tan Architects in London. Following that, he later set up studios in Istanbul and the main design office in Singapore.
His eclectic range of works are informed by extensive research that influences his designs, which are responsive to local history, culture, and contexts. Spanning projects in Asian and Western cities, Tan was one of 12 architects who designed villas for a hospitality project known as Commune by the Great Wall in Beijing, and he also designed the Chuzhou Headquarters and Ceramic Museum in Anhui, China. Locally, Mr Tan has had a hand in designing the beloved flagship Kinokuniya bookstore in Ngee Ann City, in the restoration of the Bukit Timah Railway Station, the new Gallop extension at Singapore Botanic Gardens, and the BreadTalk international headquarters, which was modelled after a multi-layered cake.
Tan is well-known for architecture with Asian influences. Tan has been a regular contributor to various Chinese publications, penning his views on arts, architecture and cities for years. This stemmed from an interest in reading old Chinese literature texts and passages at a young age, where he was struck by how they captured poetic moments of beauty.
“It taught me about abstraction, maintaining the balance with intricate details, while leaving room for imagination. The essence of this approach can be applied to designing even in the mode and language of modern architecture,” says Tan.
Having completed many modern interpretations of traditional houses, working on the Gallop Extension project’s colonial-era black and white bungalows was a return to his early learnings of the English landscape movement and the Italian Renaissance classics such as Palazzo Chiericati by Andrea Palladio.
Play is the driving impetus for Tan’s architectural design approach, along with a desire to refresh and revitalise traditions. Each time Tan embarks on a new project, he takes the opportunity to “create something new, something better, more comfortable and fun.” The most important thing is to be original and to try something that hasn’t been done before, he adds.
This love for experimentation is evident in one of his Cluny Park residential projects, which he cheekily describes as “a modern play”. It was conceived by juxtaposing internal spaces against external gardens, a method often used in English country houses. Playing around with the solid and the void, Tan also weaved in elements of steel and glass. The end result is almost like an ‘ultra-modern sculpture in the park’,” says Tan.
For his other residential project at Cluny Park, the rooms were designed to flow from one space to another, creating perspectives of an early baroque characteristic. Italian baroque architecture has several identifying characteristics, including curving forms and walls that seem to undulate, or move in waves.
Tan was also very much influenced by Hans Arp, a German-French dadaist sculptor who created biomorphic sculptures. The organic shapes in his work evoke the appearance of worn pebbles, floral buds and other non-rectilinear shapes. This freeform approach helps the house merge into the landscape and become part of nature, so guests can enjoy the natural environment and “forget about architecture as an artificial built object,” says Tan.
In recent years, Tan has seen more requests for multi-generational homes, with a “modern interpretation of an Asian way of life”. Comprising a cosmopolitan clientele, these clients are open-minded and liberal, with homes in Singapore and all over the world. Many of their children are studying and working abroad, and return occasionally to Singapore to spend time with their family.
Tan credits his success to the hardworking and talented team he’s built, many of whom have stayed with his firm for over 10 years. He likens it to a football team that shares the “same unspoken vision.” Beyond a shared passion for design, they have similarly diverse side interests as well—one of his staff is a musician, the other is a mixologist who enjoys whipping up cocktails.
Divulging on his hiring process, Tan says he intuitively senses if they are well-suited from their portfolio of work, their interests and the questions they ask. “If someone just wants a straightforward nine-to-five job, this isn’t the place for them. Passion can’t be cultivated,” he adds.
He cites how the late William Lim—one of Singapore's eminent architects who left behind iconic modernist buildings such as the People's Park Complex and the Golden Complex—who still had a youthful outlook even in his old age. “We’re all just boys and girls who haven’t grown up and still want to have fun,” says Tan wryly.
For all his accolades, Tan prefers to keep a low profile from the spotlight. In his free time, he finds refuge in swimming, where “thoughts become crystal clear in water” after a couple of laps. At night, he unwinds by reading, watching films, or visiting theatres and galleries back in London.
With the cacophony of social media and information widely available, mass advertising, and trendy buildings jostling for attention, young designers these days face many distractions, says Tan. His advice: “Follow your instinct, don’t be afraid to take courage, and try new territory. You should create designs that come from your heart.”
With the award win, Tan’s schedule ahead looks set to be packed. He hopes it will open the door to new avenues and looks forward to challenging projects ahead. On his ambitions for the future for him and the team, he says: “Each project, be it large or small, will continue to be a journey of discovery, an opportunity for us to contribute to the built environment. Hopefully people will continue to enjoy and appreciate our creations, for many years to come.”
What does winning this year’s President’s Design Awards mean to you personally?
The award is very meaningful. It helps me to look back at a journey started some 40 years ago, and it’s heartening to know that my work, my approach to design are appreciated. This award sets an important milestone in my career as an architect, it will open the door to new avenues I am sure—I truly look forward to more challenging projects ahead.
How would you describe your design philosophy and vision?
Architecture is a fascinating profession. The diverse knowledge I gained over the years, be it on construction, environment, history, geography or botanical species, add up and enhance the next project I work on. I gain a better understanding of the world in the process. Each time, the design process is for me an opportunity to create something new, something better, more comfortable and fun.
What sparked your interest in Chinese culture and architecture?
I was fortunate to have started early in reading old texts of Chinese literature. The capturing of beauty and poetic moments in some of the passages in Chinese literature inspire me a lot. It taught me about abstraction, maintaining the balance with intricate details, while leaving room for imagination. The essence of this approach can be applied to designing even in the mode or language of modern architecture.
What’s your take on Singapore’s changing skyline—this desire for constant redevelopment versus preservation of older buildings?
Like most cosmopolitan cities, be it Tokyo or London, Singapore needs high-rises and new buildings, but at the same time, it should also have a diversity of our heritage architecture. It is a balancing act to create that good mix for our city. Besides professional advice, social awareness and debates, the understanding of what makes a good city tick is important.
Where is your favourite spot in Singapore?
It will be the Singapore River. We have the Padang which relates to our colonial period history and we have created the Marina Bay area. These two places relate to two different eras of Singapore. The new buildings versus the old buildings is exactly how an interesting city should be like; the old and the new co-exist at the same time.
What’s your advice for young aspiring architects in Singapore?
Follow your interests and instincts. Don’t be afraid, take courage and try new territory. However, in this space, there are so many social media, publications or advertising, trendy buildings. Don’t be distracted by those. You should create designs that come from your heart.
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