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23/05/2025

What do we talk about when we talk about architecture in Singapore?

An article by Adrian Lai

Architecture in Singapore sits at the intersection of policy, practicality, and aspiration. A quintessential living laboratory for the built environment since her independence in 1965, the island city-state has honed the machinery of policy to incentivised development through to professionals practicing in lock-step to regularly deliver planning, urban design and architectural typological innovations.

But when we talk about architecture, what exactly do we talk about?

Reflecting on SGAF24, Ar. Adrian Lai of MetaArchitecture discusses more in this article.

Join fresh conversations at Singapore Archifest 2025, sign up at archifest.sg

Read it here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-do-we-talk-when-architecture-singapore-singaporearchifest-r3rue

11/06/2024

INTANGIBLE MEMORIES NEED TANGIBLE PLACES
.. intangible memories and experiences are difficult to remember, sense or feel if there is nothing tangible to tie them to.

Terence Heng, Senior Lecturer of Sociology at the University of Liverpool, writes in CNA about the sense of continuity and active connections.

We are tempted to think preserving, documenting and remembering old places is a kind of nostalgia that holds us back from moving on. Not so, says sociologist Terence Heng.

01/12/2023

Why we need to make our cities more loveable - and what designers need to know !

https://thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spinifex/why-we-need-to-make-our-cities-more-loveable-and-maybe-quirky/

Urban Redevelopment Authority DesignSingapore Singapore Institute of Architects Caro Communications

As city planners, urban designers, architects and built environment professionals, what are we actually designing – buildings, spaces or experiences?

26/07/2022

Meta Architecture Adrian Lai Nobuko Iijima and Formwerkz Architects Alan Tay Shiaw Shih collaborate on uncovering Clarke Quay stories in CapitaLand's next round of rejuvenation at Singapore River's new up-and-coming neighbourhood. Together with Studio Lapis Ho Weng Hin, Atelier Ten, RSP, JRP, ICN, Maek and nipek Shigeki Fujii

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29/06/2022

Question for Singapore:
Lange observed that "Americans only walk when in college or on vacation" and points at this disinclination as the reason why downtowns became "car-centric, retail-first monocultures rather than pedestrian-first, mixed-use places.”

Now if Singaporeans exhibit the same disinclination - and in our all year round tropical heat, who can blame us - on our tiny island city-state that is all city and urban, what alternatives to the ubiquitous mall do we need to avoid our entire country and people suffering the same fate of a "retail-first monoculture" city?





Why the inventor of the shopping mall denounced his creation:

The world’s first indoor mall was meant to usher in a utopian America. But its creator, an Austrian who had fled the N***s, came to believe a nightmare had been unleashed that ‘destroyed our cities’

10/12/2021

FARM and Adrian Lai share a stage next Tuesday about shaping the future with heritage. Do sign up and join us and the good people at WY-TO and Cosentino for a little behind-the-scenes chat.

LAST TAB Series 2: The Making of Architecture of 2021 and we are pleased to round it off with TWO speakers! Adrian Lai, Founder of
Meta and Tiah Nan Chyuan, Director of FARM will be joining us in 12 – Adaptive Re-use.

Don’t miss out on this journey through time with built structures next Tuesday!
Adrian Lai is a Registered Architect in the UK and Singapore. He founded Meta as a practice to explore the potentials for cultural production in architecture, landscape and urban projects. Adrian is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Architecture at the National University of Singapore.

Tiah Nan Chyuan is a Director at FARM, an award-winning cross-disciplinary design practice. Over the years, FARM has grown from a society organising community events like ROJAK to a cross-disciplinary design practice that is working across different territories, domains and typologies. Nan Chyuan was also recognised as one of Singapore’s emerging architects in URA’s third edition of “20 Under 45” exhibition.
To find out more on the online event, visit,
https://www.facebook.com/events/1736758636523637/

What are you waiting for? Sign up for free on,
https://bit.ly/TAB-Series-2-Adaptive-Re-use
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06/11/2021

Architecture is Life! In this interview with Design and Architecture we talk about Instagram, Literature and why we do what we do.

The founder of Meta Architecture devotes his time to creating projects centred on originality and authenticity.

17/08/2021

Hey All. Looking forward to hearing from the Singaporean architectural community this Thursday noon about their experience of gunning for and winning international awards, tips they can share and their personal thoughts on cultivating deep expertise with growing their communities of practice. Do join in the chat - zoom link in the poster!

02/07/2021

Kudos to Design and Architecture on their 120th issue milestone and honoured to be associated with their landmark achievement!

Nobuko Iijima Kar Paik Soon