Building History: An Architectural Legacy

Singapore is no stranger to iconic buildings, with a landmark growth of audacious, inspired, and innovative structures. While her inhabitants are familiar with prominent and acclaimed developments such as the Esplanade, Golden Mile Complex, People’s Park Complex, Wisma Atria, Suntec City, and Nanyang Polytechnic, most are unfamiliar with the architects who designed and created them. Gan Eng Oon is one of Singapore’s most prolific architects and one of four longterm partners of Design Partnership since 1975 before DP Architects succeeded it.

This memoir chronicles Gan’s younger days, and his personal and professional experiences while leading Design Partnership and subsequently, DP Architects. DPA is one of the world’s top 10 most innovative building designers with offices in Singapore, China, India and Indonesia, clients all over the world and global respect for their projects. Having managed a multitude of projects, Gan recollects and surveys his most memorable projects that have included the island state’s most iconic structures and analyses the craft and thought process behind these distinctive buildings. Building History is an expansive view of how architecture has shaped Singapore’s physical, living, and social environment, and how both culture and architecture are interdependent and inseparable.