President*s Design Award 2025 recognises visionary and purposeful design driving positive social and spatial transformation, and technological innovation

This year’s diverse crop of recipients spotlights the transformative role of design in shaping inclusive communities and resilient environments as well as enhancing user experience and urban heritage.

First row: Designers of the Year Ar. Alan Tay and Gabriel Tan; Designs of the Year 21 Carpenter, Bird Paradise, Delta Sport Centre; Second Row: Designs of the Year KartaCam 2, School of Tomorrow, Silver Pride Lion Troupe, SJ Campus

Nine recipients were presented the President*s Design Award (P*DA) 2025 today, recognising their exceptional achievements in purposeful design that have positively impacted lives in Singapore and the wider global community. Among them are designers Ar. Alan Tay and Gabriel Tan, who were named Designers of the Year, alongside seven projects that received the Design of the Year award: 21 Carpenter, Bird Paradise, Delta Sport Centre, KartaCam 2, School of Tomorrow, Silver Pride Lion Troupe and SJ Campus.

The biennial award celebrates designers and projects that demonstrate the transformative power of design across multiple disciplines. Jointly organised by the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), this year's outstanding recipients address contemporary challenges through innovative solutions that span adaptive reuse, product design, experience design, service design and architecture, affirming Singapore’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Design.

“This year’s awardees show us that good design is never just about aesthetics. From nurturing our bonds with nature, to shaping sustainable urban spaces, to reimagining how our children learn, their work is at the heart of an inventive society. I extend my warmest congratulations to all P*DA 2025 recipients for their captivating and meaningful contributions,” says Guest of Honour and patron of the P*DA, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Shaping Lives and Experiences through the Power of Design

The prestigious P*DA accolade – marking its 15th edition in conjunction with Singapore’s 60th anniversary – continues to be the hallmark of excellence for designers and design projects across all disciplines. A 15-member panel of jurors comprising local and international architecture veterans, multi-disciplinary design as well as impact experts, ensure the most rigorous standards.

The award is presented in two categories: Designer of the Year and Design of the Year.

Designer of the Year

The P*DA 2025 Designer of the Year was presented to two visionary Singaporean designers whose work exemplifies design excellence grounded in purpose and place. Ar. Alan Tay and Gabriel Tan have each cultivated acclaimed and distinctive practices that span cultures and disciplines: Ar. Alan Tay through his contextually sensitive architectural work across the region, and Gabriel Tan through his contemporary reinterpretation of traditional craftsmanship in product and furniture design.

Top, Bottom: Ar. Alan Tay, Gabriel Tan. Photos courtesy of Formwerkz Architects and Gabriel Tan Studio.

• Ar. Alan Tay, Principal Partner of Formwerkz Architects, received the Designer of the Year recognition for his consistent body of architectural work over two decades across Singapore, China and Malaysia. From the award-winning Cloister House in Malaysia to the Al-Islah Mosque in Singapore, Tay demonstrates clarity of thought in his designs and leads rigorous investigations to create highly contextual solutions that respond to tropical environments, while leveraging  architecture to address deeper societal issues and inspire reflection on conventional design norms.

• Gabriel Tan, Principal, Gabriel Tan Studio, Studio Antimatter, and Co-founder, Origin Made, was recognised as Designer of the Year for his internationally recognised portfolio that bridges cultures and disciplines. His collaboration with leading brands like Herman Miller, B&B Italia and Ariake as well as his strong engagement with traditional craft demonstrates a profound respect for heritage while pushing the boundaries of contemporary design. Based in Portugal while maintaining strong ties with Singapore, Tan’s practice demonstrates a deep respect for craft as he expands the boundaries of design, leaving a distinct Singaporean imprint on the world stage.

Design of the Year

Seven projects were awarded the P*DA 2025 Design of the Year for demonstrating the impact of design in uplifting communities, shaping inclusive experiences, and responding creatively to evolving societal needs. These projects reflect excellence across one or more key impact areas: enabling economic transformation, raising quality of life, advancing Singapore’s brand and cultural identity, and achieving breakthroughs in design innovation.

Left: 21 Carpenter – The articulated facade of the conserved four-storey shophouses contrasts with the dematerialised, weightless character of the five-storey contemporary extension. Photo by Darren Soh.
Right: Bird Paradise – The Hong Leong Foundation Crimson Wetlands is entirely beamless, enabling unobstructed flight paths. The waterfall, a tribute to the former Jurong Bird Park’s Waterfall Aviary, uses recycled water. Image courtesy of Mandai Wildlife Group.

• 21 Carpenter by WOHA Architects is an elegant integration of four conserved 1936 shophouses with a contemporary rear block at the fringe of Singapore's Chinatown. The boutique hotel showcases masterful articulation between heritage and contemporary architecture while incorporating storytelling elements that reflect the building's history as a remittance house.

• Bird Paradise by Mandai Wildlife Group in collaboration with RSP Architects Planners & Engineers is a world-class immersive wildlife experience that redefines animal conservation in an urban context. The premier attraction at Mandai blends innovative design with education and community engagement, offering visitors meaningful connections with wildlife while advancing Singapore's position as a must-visit destination.

Left: Delta Sport Centre – Bearing a now-characteristic deep red colour, it establishes a new presence facing Redhill estate, stitching the sports complex to its surrounding context and becoming a community space. Photo by Finbarr Fallon.
Right: KartaCam 2 – Its versatile mounting base makes KartaCam 2 compatible with a variety of mapping modes, including on foot, two- and four-wheel vehicles. Photo courtesy of Grab.

• Delta Sport Centre by Red Bean Architects is a successful adaptive reuse project that embraces sustainability and inclusivity, transforming standalone facilities into a seamless flow of activities connecting surrounding neighbourhoods. The project's second-storey thoroughfare creates new linkages to nearby MRT stations and overhead bridges, demonstrating how thoughtful interventions can transform ageing sports infrastructure into a cohesive, inclusive community asset that re-engages its surrounding neighbourhood and revitalises community spaces.

• KartaCam 2 by Grab is what may be the world’s smallest professional-grade mapping camera system that empowers drivers to contribute to real-time mapping across Southeast Asia’s intricate street networks. Compact, AI-driven, and integrated into a larger ecosystem, it demonstrates how corporate design can deliver impact at scale - meeting everyday needs through thoughtful product and user interface design, while providing them with new opportunities to improve their livelihoods through mapping activities.

Left: School of Tomorrow – Geography class conveyed the message of climate change with ‘flooding’ – partially submerged furniture, water-stained worksheets, and a sinking map of at-risk coastlines. Photo by Aloysius Lim. Centre: Silver Pride Lion Troupe – The incorporation of a wheelchair allowed both ambulant and non-ambulant seniors to take part. Lion dance sequences were adapted with integrity to tradition. Photo by Rayson Tan.
Right: SJ Campus reconceives the traditional corporate complex with nearly 2,800 sqm of indoor gardens, including two climate-controlled courtyards. Photo by Timothy Hursley.

• School of Tomorrow by Kinetic Singapore transforms the concept of environmental education through an immersive exhibition that reimagines school subjects with a sustainability twist. Its playful, resourceful execution invites audiences of all ages to reflect on climate issues in a relatable and engaging way.

• Silver Pride Lion Troupe by NextOfKin Creatives redefines active ageing through the traditional practice of lion dance which resonates deeply with the silver generation. Besides being Singapore's first lion dance troupe for seniors, including those with mobility challenges, this groundbreaking initiative has adapted a culturally rich but physically demanding art form into one that brings dignity, purpose and intergenerational connection.

• SJ Campus, designed by Safdie Architects in collaboration with Surbana Jurong (SJ Group), reconceives the traditional corporate headquarters as a campus that integrates harmoniously with the public realm. The project features publicly accessible spaces, sustainable design strategies, and sensitive integration with the existing Jurong eco-garden while preserving mature trees on site.

“The President*s Design Award 2025 architecture recipients exemplify how thoughtful design can positively transform both individual experiences and urban environments,” says Ar. Yap Lay Bee, Group Director (Architecture & Urban Design), URA. “From adaptive reuse that breathes new life into existing structures; to transforming workspace typologies, these projects demonstrate that exceptional architecture serves communities at multiple scales, creating spaces that are both liveable and inspiring. These works are a testament to architects whose creativity, dedication and vision are shaping a more inclusive and attractive built environment.”

“The President*s Design Award recognises designers and designs that go beyond innovation to shape how we live, connect and care,” says Dawn Lim, Executive Director of the DesignSingapore Council. “This year's recipients demonstrate how Singapore's design industry continues to mature, offering thoughtful solutions to complex challenges. As a Nation by Design, Singapore’s progress has long been guided by bold, strategic, and creative thinking. These designers carry that spirit forward, showing how empathy and cultural intelligence can drive impactful design for both local and global communities.”

For more information about the award and this year’s recipients, please visit pda.designsingapore.org

For more details on the P*DA 2025 recipients, please see Annex A [PDF, 1.7 MB].

For the list of jurors, please see Annex B [PDF, 372 KB].

For more information about the P*DA and selection criteria, please see Annex C [PDF, 142 KB].