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, 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.
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.
P*DA 2025 Designer of the Year
Ar. Alan Tay – Principal Partner of Formwerkz Architects, Alan is celebrated for his consistent, humanistic approach to architecture across Singapore, Malaysia and China. Known for contextual projects such as Cloister House and Masjid Al-Islah, Alan also contributes to the discipline as an educator and curator, shaping architectural discourse with clarity and thoughtfulness.
Gabriel Tan – Founder of Antimatter and Gabriel Tan Studio, Gabriel is honoured for his globally recognised work in product and furniture design that redefines traditional crafts through a modern lens. His practice, based between Singapore and Porto, reflects a deep engagement with heritage and a belief that design can be both beautiful and functional, with collaborations spanning Herman Miller, B&B Italia, and Ariake.
P*DA 2025 Design of the Year
21 Carpenter – Designed by WOHA Architects, this boutique hotel weaves heritage and modernity by extending conserved shophouses with a sensitive, floating contemporary addition. Every detail—from materials to skylights—tells a story, revealing the building’s layered past and Singapore’s evolving identity.
Bird Paradise – Designed by Mandai Wildlife Group in collaboration with RSP Architects, Planners & Engineers, this Mandai wildlife attraction integrates landscape, architecture, and user experience to foster connections with birds and nature. It represents a new model for conservation-driven design in urban environments, offering immersive, educational encounters that connect families with biodiversity.
Delta Sport Centre – Designed by Red Bean Architects, this adaptive reuse project connects decades-old sports facilities into one inclusive hub. Its second-storey thoroughfare unites surrounding neighbourhoods and activates the site through minimal yet impactful interventions.
KartaCam 2 – Created by Grab, it 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. Compact, AI-driven, and integrated into Grab’s ecosystem, it demonstrates how corporate design can deliver impact at scale through thoughtful product and user interface design.
School of Tomorrow – Developed by Kinetic Singapore, this inventive exhibition presents sustainability through familiar school subjects, making climate education playful and accessible. With immersive, hands-on displays, it invites reflection on environmental responsibility while exemplifying design-led storytelling at its best.
Silver Pride Lion Troupe – Created by NextOfKin Creatives, this service design project reimagines the lion dance tradition for seniors, including those with mobility challenges. By integrating physiotherapy insights and adaptive design, it empowers seniors with renewed purpose while breathing new life into a cultural artform.
SJ Campus – A collaboration between Safdie Architects and Surbana Jurong (SJ Group), this campus reflects Singapore’s “City in Nature” vision. Tapping into biophilic principles and seamless public integration, it rethinks corporate architecture as a community-centric, environmentally responsive workplace.
