SINGAPORE’S HIGHEST DESIGN ACCOLADE, PRESIDENT*S DESIGN AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED
Voted for by an international jury panel, the prestigious award celebrates designers and architects that address global challenges from ageing to sustainability while creating positive impact and meaningful change
June 28, 2021
EMBARGOED UNTIL 30TH JUNE, 11.30 BST
Singapore, 30th June 2021 – The President*s Design Award (P*DA) will be presented to 11 recipients this year for creating human-centric solutions that address global issues such as ageing societies, under-served communities, climate change and sustainability.The biennial award, presented by President Halimah Yacob, recognises outstanding designers and designs that have contributed to economic, cultural and community transformation, raised quality of life, made ground-breaking design achievements and elevated Singapore on the world stage.
Jointly organised by the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the award ceremony is to be held on 30th June, and will be live-streamed from The Istana. A total of 129 submissions across various disciplines — including architecture, interior design, visual communications, user interface, UX/UI design, educational and spatial design, engineering design and more were received, reflecting the critical role of design in shaping how we can better live, learn, work, and play.
Voted for by a global jury panel, the award has two categories: Designer of the Year — awarded to one recipient from design, and one from architecture (two recipients) for their body of work — and multidisciplinary award, Design of the Year (nine recipients).
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Designer of the Year award went to a Singapore designer and an architect duo who have spent their careers focused on making a difference to their industry, community and country:
- Kelley Cheng, Creative Director of The Press Room, was recognised by the Jury for her outstanding body of work spanning visual communications, publishing and exhibition design; and for tirelessly working to champion and nurture Singapore’s creative community.
- Husband-and-wife architect team, Khoo Peng Beng and Belinda Huang, Directors of ARC Studio Architecture + Urbanism Pte Ltd, were lauded for their outstanding contributions in mentoring and developing young and aspiring architects as well as actively developing socially meaningful, community-focused projects. One such example is the multi award-winning Pinnacle@Duxton, which features the world’s two longest sky gardens ever built on skyscrapers, at 500 metres each.
DESIGN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Nine projects received the Design of the Year award for demonstrating design’s ability to transform and touch the lives of people from all walks of life, in Singapore and beyond:
- For the young, Sparkletots Large Preschool at Punggol, led by Ho Tzu Yin and. Matthew Yeo from LAUD Architects Pte Ltd, creates a safe and inclusive space to learn and play by reinventing the conventional notion of a childcare facility.
- Kampung Admiralty, led by Wong Mun Summ and Pearl Chee from WOHA Architects Pte Ltd and Goodlife! Makan, led by Seah Chee Huang from DP Architects Pte Ltd, create spaces that reintegrate our silver generation into the community, and revitalise their golden years.
- Cloister House, led by Alan Tay and Seetoh Kum Loon from Formwerkz Architects, reinterprets the cluster house typology to provide a functional yet stunning living space in the tropics.
- Etania Green School, by Prasoon Kumar and Robert Verrijt from Billion Bricks Ltd, is a source for experiential learning as well as a place of pride and dignity for the stateless children and community in Sabah, Malaysia.
- EYEYAH! by Steve Lawler and Tanya Wilson empowers children with creative and problem-solving skills through visual communications not just in Singapore, but in the United Kingdom and the United States.
- The [Not-So] Convenience Store, led by Astri Nursalim from Kinetic Singapore, is a tongue-in-cheek exhibition, which has sparked necessary discussions around the cost of our culture of convenience on the environment.
- Jewel Changi Airport, led by Moshe Safdie from Safdie Architects as well as RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd, is an architectural feat which has propelled Singapore to the world stage by redefining the notion of an air transit hub.
- AirMesh Pavilion, led by Professor Carlos Bañón from the Architectural Intelligence Research Lab (AIRLAB) @ Singapore University of Technology and Design, realises the future of construction by pushing the boundaries of 3D printing.
![Above: The [Not-So] Convenience Store led by Astri Nursalim from Kinetic Singapore | Below: Cloister House by Alan Tay & Seetoh Kum Loon from Formwerkz](https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/67036ff5-60a9-44f2-9093-a8fd8b6a2233/Not%20So.PNG "Above: The [Not-So] Convenience Store led by Astri Nursalim from Kinetic Singapore | Below: Cloister House by Alan Tay & Seetoh Kum Loon from Formwerkz")
Of this year’s awards, President Halimah Yacob said, “The common thread that runs through good design is the [MH1] improvement it brings to our quality of life. All of this year’s award recipients have accomplished this through their creative, thoughtful and empathetic designs. Each award-winning project is a unique testimony to how design can be used to empower lives, uplift communities, and propel innovation.”
Mark Wee, Executive Director of Dsg, added,“This cycle of the P*DA takes place amidst an unusually trying time when societies and economies are in flux. The turbulent changes are a stark reminder that as designers, we can serve a higher purpose by seeking to solve societal challenges to create a better world. This year’s P*DA recipients exemplify design’s ability to transform, improve and touch the lives of people from all walks of life. We hope others will be inspired by these projects and see how good design can create a brighter, better future.”
Yap Lay Bee, Group Director (Architecture & Urban Design), URA said, “The P*DA 2020 recipients and projects have demonstrated responsiveness to environmental and community outcomes. This is testament to the pertinent role that architects play in creating places that inspire the community, drive connections and break social barriers. This results in well-designed buildings and spaces that aren’t just attractive, but also sustainable and beneficial for generations to come.”
The award-winning works will be featured in a travelling exhibition across the island, slated to commence at The URA Centre after the award ceremony before moving to selected venues including National Design Centre, library@orchard, Temasek Shophouse and Singapore University of Technology and Design. More venues will be confirmed closer to date. For the well-being of all visitors, visitation arrangements will adhere strictly to prevailing safe management measures. For more information about the P*DA travelling exhibition, visit: https://pda.designsingapore.org.
NOTES TO EDITORS
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT’S DESIGN AWARD
The President’s Design Award (P*DA) is Singapore’s highest honour for designers and designs across all disciplines. It recognises the achievements of those making a difference to the lives of Singaporeans and the global community through excellent design.
Voted for by a global jury panel, the awards are split into two sections: Designer of the Year - awarded to one recipient from design, and one from architecture (two recipients) for their body of work - and multidisciplinary award, Design of the Year (nine recipients).
Originally founded in 2006, the P*DA was relaunched in 2017 as a biennial award with a greater emphasis on the impact of design in one or more of the following areas:
- Enabling economic transformation – Projects that transform work experiences and businesses through innovative design strategies and processes, change management, innovative products, services and experiences, etc.
- Raising quality of life – Projects in, but not limited to, housing, healthcare, lifestyle, public spaces, public (or publicly-available) services, transport, education, etc.
- Advancing Singapore brand, culture and community – Projects that deal with culture and heritage, social and community projects, branding/rebranding, social inclusivity, social bonding, etc.
- Making ground-breaking achievements in design –Projects that have pushed boundaries in crafts and technical excellence to achieve breakthroughs for the design industry.
P*DA recognises designs from all disciplines and is jointly administered by the DesignSingapore Council and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
About DesignSingapore Council
DesignSingapore Council’s (Dsg) vision is for Singapore to be an innovation-driven economy and a loveable city through design by 2025. As the national agency that promotes design, our mission is to develop the design sector, help Singapore use design for innovation and growth, and make life better in this UNESCO Creative City of Design. Our work focuses on three areas. First, we help organisations and enterprises use design as a strategy for business growth; and for excellent delivery of public services. Second, we nurture industry-ready talents skilled in design and innovation; and engender a design-minded workforce for the future economy. Third, we advance the Singapore brand through raising design appreciation on home-ground; helping local design talents and firms go international, and making emotional connections with people across the world. The Dsg is a subsidiary of the Singapore Economic Development Board.
Singapore was designated UNESCO Creative City of Design in December 2015. The designation supports Singapore’s development of a creative culture and eco-system that integrates design and creativity with everyday life. It also expands Singapore’s opportunity to collaborate with cities from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). The City of Design Office is sited with Dsg which coordinates and implements programmes that respond to UCCN’s mission.
About the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA)
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is Singapore's land use planning and conservation agency. Our mission is ‘to make Singapore a great city to live, work and play’. We strive to create an endearing home and a vibrant city through long-term planning and innovation, in partnership with the community.
URA’s multi-faceted role includes being the main government land sales agent. We attract and channel private capital investments to develop sites that support planning, economic and social objectives. We also partner the community to enliven our public spaces to create a car-lite, people-friendly and liveable city for all to enjoy. In shaping a distinctive city, URA also promotes architecture and urban design excellence.
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