Places Of The Heart: Architect returns to source of Singapore story down by the river

Who: Mr Tan Kay Ngee, 68, multi-award-winning founder and principal architect of Kay Ngee Tan Architects, is a scholar, educator and architect with offices in Singapore, London and Istanbul.

Mr Tan picked up the President’s Design Award 2023 for Designer of the Year. His firm has received several awards conferred by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), including the 2024 URA Architectural Heritage Award for Conservation (Distinction) for Bukit Timah Railway Station.

Besides urban and landscape design, his practice includes works in graphic and product design, theatre and architecture writing.

A registered architect in Singapore and the United Kingdom, Mr Tan, who is bilingual in English and Mandarin, has contributed essays and findings about architecture to local and global publications such as Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore and weekly magazine Yazhou Zhoukan (Asia Weekly) in Hong Kong.

Books he has published include Cities Of My Longing (2019, Taipei), Magnetic Fields Of Cities (2008, Taipei and Shanghai) and Never Ending Summer (1978, Malaysia).

“I remember a gigantic floating stage erected at the river’s edge of Boat Quay. The temporary platforms for performances were stitched together and propped up on wooden or bamboo stilts sitting on a few sampan (boats) that were tied together to provide some semblance of stability.

This floating stage transformed the Singapore River into a week-long carnival and is a fond memory from my childhood years. Fascinating scenes of Chinese wayang staged on water can still be found in the late Lim Tze Peng’s paintings.

Whenever I stand at the edge of Boat Quay, I feel connected to Singapore’s past while looking ahead to its future.

Growing up, there were many places dear to my heart in Singapore, but if I were to pick one, it would have to be Elgin Bridge.

On this iconic bridge, I stand above the Singapore River, flowing towards its estuary, where the island’s commerce and culture began.

If I turn and look in the other direction perpendicular to the river, I see the bustling North and South Bridge Roads, connecting two banks where a daily bustle takes place, without pause, as in the last two hundred years.

North and South Bridge Roads, which run perpendicular to the Singapore River, form a perfect cross-junction in our city centre.

They are also aptly named, as Elgin Bridge was the first bridge to connect the city, enhancing connectivity and urban activity.

Built in 1823 as a wooden structure, the bridge went through several repairs and upgrades until its current form took shape in 1929, designed by British municipal bridge engineer T.C. Hood.

It took about two years just to lay the foundations of the bridge, with six water-tight chambers called caissons being sunk into the riverbed.

When it was opened to traffic in May 1929, Elgin Bridge became the fourth to be constructed on the same spot.

This vital viaduct above the Singapore River held the old city centre together.

Looking eastward to Boat Quay and beyond, one is fascinated by the rapid development over the last few decades – a transformation of the coastline, especially when compared with the colonial-era Jackson Plan.

The plan was Singapore’s first map, drawn up in 1822 by British Lieutenant Philip Jackson, according to the vision of Sir Stamford Raffles, who founded the port city of Singapore in 1819.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the shophouses along North and South Bridge Roads were still very much intact.

I recall hopping from one bookshop to the next after school, when part of North Bridge Road was lined with bookshops, reminiscent of London’s Charing Cross Road 20 years ago.

One could walk comfortably along the five-foot-ways on both sides of North and South Bridge Roads, from Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam all the way to Chinatown, rain or shine.

Streets were once well connected by these continuously covered walkways. The concept of the five-foot-way is a practical design that provides pedestrian connectivity and is perfectly suited for our tropical weather.

In 2019, our firm was commissioned by the National Parks Board to upgrade amenities, which include soft and hard landscaping, along the Singapore River.

This was part of the Round Island Route, which is designed to enhance the pedestrian experience through landscaping and improve the conditions for cyclists and casual strollers along the banks of the Singapore River.

The Round Island Route project, which started from the Alexandra Park Connector all the way to the north-eastern coastline of Boat Quay, showcases themes of City and Heritage, Eco Discovery and Coastal Adventure.

The transformation of the riverfront over the decades is a lesson in urban change. Today, the Singapore River offers a layered experience. Above, the city moves at speed while below, along the waterfront, time slows down.

The scenery along the 2.4km river walk reflects our nation’s history. The old warehouses, once hubs of port industry, have been repurposed into galleries, cafes and museums – new functions that soften their original seaport character while preserving their historical architecture.

Walking along the river, away from the hum of traffic, allows for clarity of thought.

I find the shifting light on the water, the breeze from the open-air corridor and the occasional boat chugging along coalescing into an uninterrupted moment to ruminate and recalibrate.

The river has witnessed Singapore’s evolution. Pausing here is like looking at time itself in perpetual motion.”