Ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for the opportunity to attend this conference on modern Asian architecture.

I am a layman. I have, at best, a fair appreciation for physical spaces - the form and function of buildings, streets, and how the city is laid out. I can also appreciate the value of our traditional shophouses, ethnic monuments and colonial civic buildings. I don’t think any of us would deny their architectural value, as well as their social and historical significance.

But over time, tastes change, lifestyles evolve and technology advances. We no longer design and build buildings the way we did in the past. Things have changed in so many ways since Singapore’s independence. Our built environment, with its modern buildings and architecture, has changed in tandem.

I cannot pretend to be an expert on modern architecture. From what I understand, modern architecture is a radical departure from the traditional ways of building, which was labour-intensive and dependent on the specialised skills of many different craftsmen. It had its roots in the Industrial Revolution, which created new materials for building, as well as introduced the techniques of mass production that emphasized speed, efficiency and reproducibility.

It was also during the Industrial Revolution that people went in droves to the city to find work in factories. European cities grew rapidly and cities became overcrowded and plagued with health, social and political problems. By the turn of the century, there emerged a number of architects, planners and thinkers who decided to embrace modern technology in order to improve the living conditions of people.

They saw the mass production of housing as the way to provide decent housing for workers – homes with adequate space, light, air and sanitation. Through the improvement of people’s living conditions, they hoped that society would also change for the better.

The introduction of modern architecture to Singapore was done on a relatively large scale by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), which was set up in 1924 by the colonial government. Tasked to solve the housing problem in an overcrowded city, the SIT built the first large-scale public housing projects in Singapore. They used materials such as reinforced concrete, with a minimum of decoration. Mass production, with an eye to keeping costs down, meant that building forms were simplified. If anything did not serve a specific function, it was simply left out .

However, as can be seen in the architecture of Tiong Bahru Estate, the apparent simplicity of modern architecture, if well thought out, can create buildings and spaces with harmony and beauty.

Upon attaining self-governance in 1959, the Housing and Development Board took over the pressing task of providing proper housing for the people. Almost naturally, Singapore embraced modern architecture and planning to provide a better environment for its people. It was the only realistic means of re-housing the masses from their unhealthy inner city slums.

Building in the modern style was also a statement that we were breaking away from the old colonial society, which was riddled with inequality and vast disparities of wealth and living conditions. Architecture, often seen as a manifestation of a society’s values, thus mirrored that break from old values and the warm embrace of the new values and ideals of an independent and egalitarian Singapore.

So, while the political activists and young leaders of that era were striving to modernise the societies they lived in, the young Asian architects of the time were similarly remaking the streetscapes of their homelands. They were enthused by new ideas of modern architecture – forms that were driven by function, expressing the natural character of building materials without ornamentation, an emphasis on geometry, and adapting the medium to our tropical climate.

Since our independence, government and private architects have worked together to create a modern city. The Central Business District was renewed with modern towers and skyscrapers. Major housing estates like Queenstown and Toa Payoh were built, schools and other public service buildings sprang up. Institutions and civic buildings reflecting our aspirations and showcasing our skills, such as the Singapore Conference Hall and Jurong Town Hall were commissioned.

All these buildings made bold steps in experimentation and innovation. Some succeeded, while others did not. Whatever the fate of these buildings, what is important is that their creators had a passion to make Singapore a better place to live. We need this same spirit today.

We tend to take our environment for granted. We forget to take time to understand and appreciate what makes up the city. Perhaps, because we are so used to change, and so much of our environment is relatively new and changing that we do not notice it much anymore.

It is also human nature to only notice or appreciate things that are unusual, rare, conventionally accepted as ‘beautiful’, or only after we have lost them. This is why most of us, only belatedly, appreciate the beauty of a traditional shophouse with its elaborate details or the classical grandeur of our colonial civic buildings.

The modern architecture that has transformed our city should be also equally appreciated and valued. We can do so at two levels. First at the national level, these modern buildings represent the pioneering spirit of the first generation of Singaporeans who built modern Singapore through sheer hard work and a good dose of faith in the future of this nation. They are a legacy, given to us, by our parents and grandparents and are symbols of our own history and growth as a nation.

Equally important is the personal level. Modern buildings have formed the backdrop of the lives of two or more generations of Singaporeans. The schools, flats, town centres, civic buildings, public spaces, icons, are all inextricably linked up to our experiences of growing up in this city. They form part of our collective consciousness as a people, as Singaporeans.

And yet, as a layman, I initially found it difficult to appreciate the beauty of our modern buildings. As I said, an ornamental flower of plaster or a finely etched column is much easier to appreciate than a seemingly plain modern building of right angles, concrete and steel. But, if we look carefully, the best modern buildings are indeed beautiful in their good proportion, deft use of materials and colours, a daring span of steel or a ledge of very thin concrete. There can even be beauty in the experience of the building, the framing of views, the quality of natural light entering the rooms, the texture of surfaces, the relationship of the different spaces within the building. All these can be appreciated after one is made aware of them.

We must appreciate the heritage value of this generation of modern buildings which is part of our more recent past. Singapore’s rapid economic growth has led to shorter building cycles as land come under pressure for even more intensive development. This has led to some of our more key modern buildings being demolished. Again, this situation is not unique to Singapore – it is a problem faced by many cities.

However, there still exist buildings like the Singapore Conference Hall that commemorate our early steps and struggles of a young nation. Besides these buildings, there are those that epitomise the innovative spirit of our architects and planners in meeting the needs of our people, like our initial efforts in public housing.

URA has already embarked on the process of identifying suitable modern buildings for conservation. One building from this period, which has already got the nod from my Ministry, is the former Beach Road NCO Club. I am happy to announce that this building, along with the old Beach Road Police Station, and some older pre-war blocks of the Beach Road Camp will be approved for conservation. It is also the first set of buildings, which has been evaluated and recommended by the Conservation Advisory Panel.

In identifying buildings, public consultation will be an important part of the process. This consultative process is already on-going with the formation of the Conservation Advisory Panel and through the Subject Groups working on URA's proposals of the Identity Plan.

The issue of conserving modern buildings will be contentious. There will be lots of debate, disputes and even heartaches. But, listening to the differences in views and being receptive to new ideas are important, so that together as a community, we can make the best decisions.

I am optimistic. With the knowledge, experience and ideas that all of you have brought to this conference, I am hopeful that your discussions and debate will open new perspectives and explore creative solutions for our Singapore.

I wish you a fruitful Conference.

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