RSYC wins Architectural Design Award

Wednesday, 25 July 2001

The Straits Times reported today that the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club clinched the prestigious Singapore Institute of Architects' Architectural Design Award in the Recreational Category.

"World-class design is not good enough, the building has to have a strong sense of place in Singapore."

That is the message sent out by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) in its selection of the winners of the 6th SIA Architectural Design Awards, the equivalent of the 'Oscars' in Singapore architecture.

Held every three years and open only to SIA's 1,000 members, the contest attracted a record number of 196 entries to its 27 categories this year. Only 16 winners were selected.

Says SIA's president and chief judge Mr Edward Wong, "There is no limit to the number of awards given out each year. There are some categories that have three winners, others with none. If a building was good enough, we awarded it. They
were judged solely on the strength and quality of architecture."

Mr Wong added, "Good architecture has the ability to evoke the senses, serve its function for its users, and blend well with the environment and surroundings, taking into consideration the climatic and cultural factors."

The Republic of Singapore Yacht Club scored highly in all these factors.

Mr Wong points out the winning features of the RSYC project.

Established in 1826, the club called for new, state-of-the-art facilities built on reclaimed land adjacent to West Coast Park. As a result, the nautical idiom is a recurring theme in this project. The expressive metal roof is a reflection of the traditional Minangkabau roof, as well as a metaphor for yacht sails. It's not a very tall building, but has a very distinct identity to it, different from the other buildings in the area.

The Republic of Singapore Yacht Club was designed by Alfred Wong Partnership.

The other judges were Associate Professor Milton Tan, the National University of Singapore's head of department of architecture; Mr Taro Ashihara, vice-president of the Japan Institute of Architects; Mr Prosperidad Luis, national president of the United Architects of the Philippines; and Professor Sandi Siregar, president of thes Indonesia Institute of Architecture.