One House, One Temple

About the Programme:

(Please note that this programme will be conducted in Mandarin.)

With leading architect Tan Kay Ngee, Author Yeo Kang Shua discusses Honourable Mansion: The Invisible Hands behind Singapore’s Last Traditional Teochew House alongside his earlier work《粵海清廟：建築與歷史的對話》/ Wak Hai Cheng Bio: A Dialogue between Architecture and History. Their conversation will thread these two books into an understanding of “one house, one temple,” exploring Teochew architecture, spatial practices, and cultural memory.

What are the connections between building, craftsmanship, belief, and community? Yeo Kang Shua will address this by referring to his extensive research and writing on the House of Tan Yeok Nee, highlighting the oft unseen artisans, techniques, and knowledge systems that have shaped this historic residence. He will share about Wak Hai Cheng (Yueh Hai Ching) Temple as a civic and spiritual landmark, as an intersection of architecture and history in the public realm.

Architect Tan Kay Ngee will respond from the perspectives of architectural practice and critical reading, focusing on the spatial logic and architectural language set out in both books. His presentation will elucidate how boundaries, intersections, and transformations between “house” and “temple” evolve through the processes of urban development.

This looks to be a scintillating dialogue bridging domestic and sacred architecture, private and communal spaces, historical and contemporary contexts. We invite you to join us in reading architecture and appreciating the invisible hands that continue to shape space, memory, and culture.

About the Author:

Yeo Kang Shua is Associate Professor and Hokkien Foundation Professor in Architectural Conservation at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. He specialises in Singapore and Southeast Asia’s architectural history and conservation, with special interest in the built heritage of Chinese diaspora. His previous books, 《粵海清廟：建築與歷史的對話》 / Wak Hai Cheng Bio: A Dialogue between Architecture and History (ASD Press, 2020) and Divine Custody: A History of Singapore’s Oldest Teochew Temple (NUS Press, 2021), explore Teochew religious architecture in Singapore. This book on the House of Tan Yeok Nee focuses on the residential tradition, offering a complementary perspective on Teochew architectural expression in the city-state.

About the Speaker:

Tan Kay Ngee, a graduate of the Architectural Association (AA) in London, possesses a distinguished career with notable achievements. In 1990, he founded Kay Ngee Tan Architects in London, and subsequently established offices in Singapore and Istanbul. He was listed as one of the “581 World Architects” by MA Gallery Tokyo in 1996. Recent completed projects in Singapore include the restoration of Bukit Timah Railway Station, the Singapore River Cycle Route, and the preservation of the Gallop Extension, a heritage site associated with the UNESCO Singapore Botanic Gardens. Kay Ngee has also contributed to the cultural discourse through his writings on arts, culture, and urban landscapes. In 2023, He was honoured with the President*s Design Award – Designer of the Year accolade.