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Places Of The Heart: Architect Rene Tan revels in the ups and downs of Ann Siang Hill
Architect Rene Tan is the director and co-founder of award-winning firm RT+Q Architects. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Places Of The Heart: Architect Rene Tan revels in the ups and downs of Ann Siang Hill
Who: Architect Rene Tan, 61, is the director of home-grown multi-award-winning architectural firm RT+Q Architects, which he co-founded with fellow architect T.K. Quek in 2003.
The firm picked up the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Architectural Heritage Award in 2011 for its restoration of a 1913 bungalow. In 2016, it bagged other design accolades such as the President's Design Award in Singapore and the Chicago Athenaeum award.
The practice's two-decade body of work was documented in Rethinking The Tropical House (2023) by Thames & Hudson, a London-based publisher of coffee-table tomes.
Mr Tan is also festival director of Singapore Archifest 2025, organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects, from June 25 to July 25. He will be championing the theme, Don't (Just) Think Like An Architect!
The 'accidental architect', who initially wanted to be a pianist, decided to study music and architecture at Yale College in the US. He later obtained a master's in architecture at Princeton University. He is married to Ms Chuah Woei Woei, who works in banking, and they have a 21-year-old daughter, Lara, who is studying music and government at Harvard University.
'My 'place of the heart' in Singapore is a story of ironies, running through busy Club Street to the quieter, undulating terrain around Ann Siang Hill.
There is this delightful sense of finding the right things in the wrong places.
For instance, just when you expect a stretch of shophouses, you stumble upon a hidden pocket of greenery. When you think the road will go higher, it unexpectedly dips.
It is in this cacophony of contradictions that I find endless inspiration.
The enclave also reaffirms my personal design approach that, sometimes, the best way to envision architecture is to stop thinking like an architect. Because only by letting go of rigid expectations can we open ourselves to new, creative possibilities.
As both an architect and teacher, I have always believed that architecture begins with intuition. It is shaped by the mind, but must ultimately resonate in the heart.
Club Street embodies this journey perfectly. It is a space that transcends logic and reason, echoing what the late American architect Robert Venturi called ' complexity and contradiction in architecture'.
There is a vibrant, almost 'messy vitality' here that reminds me of Rome's eternal spirit.
Although my RT+Q Architects Chinatown office is right in the heart of the 'hood at 32 Mosque Street, I still find myself drawn to the area, which offers a rare form of urban escape.
Wandering aimlessly through the back alleys of Club Street is more than just a break. It is a cathartic ritual that helps me shake off the pressures of the architecture profession, such as deadlines, client meetings and press briefings.
I am usually in Club Street for lunch or a work meeting, and one of the hot spots is Italian restaurant L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele at No. 8 , which is a short stroll from our office.
It is a branch of a renowned brand founded more than 150 years ago in Naples, and where I often gather with colleagues for lively lunches.
Outside of work, my wife and I love coming here after hours to unwind with friends over plates of authentic southern Italian cuisine.
There is something invigorating about the noisy banter and raw energy of the place. It feeds both the appetite and the soul, making every visit a little celebration in the heart of the city.
Mr Rene Tan describes himself as an "accidental architect" because he initially wanted to be a pianist.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
I love stumbling upon the unexpected in Club Street, such as a grand mansion where you would expect rows of shophouses. Or a linear pocket park tucked away from the bustle that wordlessly beckons.
While on the surface, Club Street seems decidedly built-up, its hill-town vibe and sprawling, undulating streets create a natural setting tucked within the city.
It is one of the few places in Singapore where you can experience this kind of hilly, layered urban landscape.
Over at Ann Siang Hill, the urban pastiche offers a different visual respite from the city's relentless pace.
I love how its picturesque streets and secret back lanes showcase the best of Singapore – a harmonious blend of old and new, high and low, history and modernity.
The juxtaposition of shophouses and skyscrapers, the interplay of heat and shelter, all come together in a vibrant confluence that is both energising and liberating.
Ann Siang is not just a park filled with greenery, but also a place where I can immerse myself, reflect and recharge.
It is where I go to 'escape' architecture, although the enclave is a rich showcase of it.
This exemplifies the little ironies that are woven into the pedestrian experience of the area.
Club Street and Ann Siang Hill are a constant draw because every visit reveals a new facet. Its ever-changing character seems to mirror the spirit of the city itself. '
Designer and lifestyle journalist Chantal Sajan writes on design and architecture.
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