Singapore Archifest (SGAF) 2025, an annual festival celebrating architecture and the built environment, today unveiled its highly anticipated programme, inviting design enthusiasts and the public to explore a radical new perspective on design. Running from 25 June to 25 July 2025 across the city, the 19th edition challenges audiences to “Don’t (Just) Think Like An Architect,” positioning architecture not merely as building structures, but as a dynamic force shaping lives, communities, and the future of our world.

Organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) since 2007, SGAF has gained recognition as one of the most exciting architectural events in the calendar. This year’s edition is supported by the DesignSingapore Council. Under the leadership of Festival Director Rene Tan and his team at RT+Q Architects, SGAF 2025 is poised to redefine the festival with a greater focus on public engagement on design and architecture, particularly as Singapore celebrates its Diamond Jubilee.

SIA President Ar. Tiah Nan Chyuan says, “As with every iteration of Singapore Archifest, we are deeply committed to cultivating a more design-conscious society and fostering Singapore’s vibrant creative culture, ensuring that the profound impact of architecture is understood and celebrated by all.”

Singapore’s remarkable 60-year journey of nation-building has been, at every step of the way, a “Nation by Design.” From its foundational policies and iconic public housing to sophisticated urban infrastructure, Singapore has never left design to chance. The city state has deliberately planned and designed around constraints to improve lives, uplift its people, and make every inch of space count.

In collaboration with Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), SGAF 2025 shines a special spotlight on this legacy at the vibrant Katong-Joo Chiat precinct. With exciting programmes planned in the area throughout the month, the festival aims to enliven the precinct and tap into community interest for locals to understand their city and their heritage. This iconic neighbourhood is a testament to Singapore’s changing skyline where modern and old architecture seamlessly coexist, providing a rich backdrop for exploring how architecture has profoundly influenced the nation’s identity.

Tan himself finds continual inspiration walking these streets. “Walking around this area is inspirational to me because you see things that schools will never be able to teach you,” he says, referencing his recent participation in Places of the Heart. “I do believe a lot of things can be learned just by walking down the streets.”

“This year, we want everyone – not just built environment professionals or design enthusiasts – to understand that architecture is for them and to think more deeply about the impact of our work on the environment and communities,” says Ar. Rene Tan, Festival Director of SGAF 2025. “Our theme, ‘Don’t (Just) Think Like An Architect!, challenges traditional mindsets and invites new unconventional ways of thinking in architecture. The future of architecture lies in going beyond the expected, and this festival is an invitation to embrace that mindset.”

Tan adds, “I’ve always half-jokingly said that the worst place to study architecture is the architecture school itself, and the worst place to practise is the office. If one cannot be creative by just sitting at one’s desk – especially these days, just managing a screen – then one needs to go out and see things.”

Festival Director Ar. Rene Tan brings a richly layered perspective to SGAF 2025. Raised in Malaysia and trained in the United States, Rene holds a BA from Yale (in music and architecture) and a Master of Architecture from Princeton. A self-described “accidental architect,” he co-founded RT+Q Architects in 2003 and has led the practice to international acclaim. Named Designer of the Year at the President’s Design Award in 2016, Rene is also a passionate educator, having taught at NUS and SUTD. Beyond practice and academia, he champions continuing education through initiatives like LC150+, RT+Q’s travelling exhibition of Le Corbusier models—now the largest known private collection of its kind. Always curious, always open-minded, that spirit of exploration permeates SGAF 2025. “The world isn’t just built environments,” Tan asserts. “It’s food, music, scenery, anything that engages the senses. Architecture must respond to all that.”

SGAF 2025 brings together visionary architects, thought leaders, educators, and built environment professionals, pushing the boundaries of creativity, design, and education. It will explore how architecture can transcend its usual limits by rethinking the way we educate, design, and build, demonstrating that each of us is an integral part of its evolution.

One of the festival’s boldest innovations is the Architects Roundtable, a gathering of more than 60 Singapore architects for a day of dialogues, presenting unbuilt works and exchanging ideas. But the space itself is as symbolic as the content. “You can’t hide in this space,” Tan quips. “If you yawn, you’ll be frowned upon. You see each other’s reactions. That’s the intention: to create openness and real conversation.”

“It’s less of you lecturing, more of us exchanging. The idea is to break that divide between stage and audience, and bring people together to talk about architecture just like they talk about the weather or food,” he adds. “Not as an esoteric subject, but as something we live by every day.”

The festival offers a diverse array of experiences, designed to engage and build connections with the audiences. At the Singapore AF Conference (25 – 27 June 2025, Sands Expo & Convention Centre), expect a powerhouse of ideas, the conference features a stellar, world-renowned line-up of over 40 speakers. Attendees can expect to hear from Pritzker laureates and design luminaries, alongside trailblazers from unrelated fields, including a renowned fashion designer, an acclaimed chef, a celebrated DJ and artist. This interdisciplinary approach aims to spark fresh perspectives and challenge traditional architectural thought.

Highlights among the prominent figures include:
• Riken Yamamoto, a Pritzker Prize laureate renowned for pioneering architecture that fosters community and transparency in public and private spaces.
• Eduardo Souto de Moura, a celebrated Portuguese Pritzker Prize winner, known for his poetic use of materials and timeless, site-specific designs.
• Grace La & James Dallman, award-winning principals of LA DALLMAN, recognised for their innovative integration of architecture, urbanism, and landscape across diverse scales.
• Takaharu Tezuka, the visionary architect behind Tezuka Architects, celebrated for designing playful, human-centric spaces that redefine interaction, notably in educational environments.
• Samuel Ross, a multi-hyphenate creative force, blending industrial design, fashion, and art to challenge perceptions of functionality and aesthetic.
• Rishi Naleendra, a Michelin-starred chef who artfully crafts narratives through food, renowned for his innovative approach to taste and dining experiences.

SGAF+ 2025 (27 June – 25 July 2025, island wide) offers an extensive series of public programmes designed for widespread accessibility and participation. Under the festival theme, these diverse events invite everyone to discover how architecture impacts our past, present and future.

Highlights include:
• Tours: Step into the city’s hidden gems and iconic spaces with ArchiTours by NUS and explore the rich narratives of our heritage through Curated Walking Trails by Hidden Heritage SG, focusing on Katong-Joo Chiat neighbourhood.
• Assembly: Blueprints of Imagination: Showcasing the innovative work of emerging design talents from nine spatial design schools, offering a glimpse into the next generation’s vision for our built environment.
• ArchiHouse: A hub of inspiration featuring a compelling schedule of talks and exhibitions, including the thought-provoking Long Island Exhibition – presenting studies by NUS MAUD and Landscape studios – and the insightful URA Identity Corridor Exhibition.
• ArchiPavilion & Installations: Experience the power of design firsthand through interactive and inclusive installations placed to spark conversation and creativity in Katong-Joo Chiat precinct.

“Architecture in Singapore hasn’t changed much, at least not in how it’s perceived,” Tan notes. “The word ‘architecture’ still feels exclusive. There’s no real community around it. We’re trying to change that by bringing it to the streets, to the people.”

On the challenge of hierarchy in the profession, Tan reflects: “We need a balance of hierarchy and no hierarchy. Architecture is still a profession where we take the lead, but we must also open up. We welcome participation from all levels and voices.”

Though the role of Festival Director is a one-year appointment, Tan hopes the ideas introduced this year will resonate beyond his tenure. “There’s only so much we can do,” he says. “We don’t have all the answers, but we try to make every day count.”

As the city celebrates its 60th birthday, Tan is clear-eyed about the urgency and humility needed: “We don’t have all the answers, but we try every day. We are sitting here in this room, bringing speakers to talk and share, but to balance it with the community at large, accessible to the public, I think that’s important.”

Archifest 2025 runs from 25th June to 25th July 2025, more information and full programme lineup available here