Tan Kay Ngee

A graduate of the Architectural Association (AA) in London, Tan Kay Ngee has built a distinguished international career in architecture, design, and cultural thought. He was awarded the RIBA Students Competition prize in 1985 and received the London Royal Academy Young Designer Award in 1987. After graduation, he worked with Arup Associates in London from 1984 to 1990 and taught at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, from 1990 to 1993.

In 1990, he founded Kay Ngee Tan Architects in London, later establishing offices in Singapore and Istanbul. In 1996, he was named one of the “581 World Architects” by MA Gallery Tokyo. His practice spans a wide range of disciplines, including architecture, theatre set design, literature and craftwork. His works have been exhibited internationally, including at the AA in London, MOCA in Taipei, the Venice Biennale in 2004, and the Singapore Season in Beijing and Shanghai in 2007. In the same year, he received the Singapore President*s Design Award – Design of the Year for the Page One Bookstore at Vivocity. He also masterminded the Kinokuniya flagship store in Ngee Ann City in 1995 and has since designed many other retail spaces across Asia and beyond.

Notable projects in Singapore include the Singapore Management University, the International Headquarters for the BreadTalk Group, the Headquarters for Select Group, as well as The Sultan, a boutique hotel that received the URA Architectural Heritage Award in 2012. Internationally, his significant works include Commune by the Great Wall in Beijing, the Singapore Pavilion at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, a combined headquarters and ceramic museum in Chuzhou, Homage Serviced Apartments in Istanbul, and a collection of luxury villas in Hangzhou, China. Ongoing projects span multiple countries and include business parks in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Suzhou for the GLP Group, condominiums in Taipei for the JUT Group, a banquet hall and resort hotel with villas in Van, Turkey, and the Agung Sedayu Group’s museum at PIK2 in Jakarta.

Recently completed works in Singapore include the restoration of Bukit Timah Railway Station, the development of the Singapore River Cycle Route, and the preservation of Gallop Extension, a heritage site adjacent to the UNESCO-listed Singapore Botanic Gardens. These projects have garnered multiple accolades: the Gallop Extension received the URA Architectural Heritage Award – Conservation with Distinction (2022), the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) Architectural Design Award – Special Categories (Public Place Making) (2023), and the President*s Design Award – Design of the Year. The Bukit Timah Railway Station restoration received two SIA awards in 2024 for Public Place Making and Conservation.

Tan also contributes actively to cultural discourse through his writing. His published works include Never Ending Summer (1978), Strawberry Fields Revisited (2006), Magnetic Fields of Cities (2008) and Cities of My Longing (2019).

He believes in the interconnectedness of architecture, literature, and the arts, drawing inspiration across disciplines to inform a holistic design philosophy. After having recently served on the National Arts Council Board, Tan teaches at the National University of Singapore, School of Architecture.

In recognition of his lifelong contributions, he was honoured with the President*s Design Award – Designer of the Year in 2023.