The Singapore Prize is awarded to a city, organisation or project that has demonstrated leadership in innovation, investments, urban planning and community engagement to accelerate the development of a more sustainable future. It is supported by a grant from the government of Singapore and was established in 2014, following an endowment from the Singapore Press Holdings Foundation. The prize is based on the belief that nations are ‘imagined communities’, and shared imaginations, particularly in history, act as a critical glue holding societies together today.
The award ceremony will take place on 6 November as part of a new Earthshot Week in Singapore that will bring together global leaders, business and investors to explore exciting opportunities for tackling climate change. The winners and finalists will be given the chance to accelerate their innovations and turn them into tangible actions, with local activations for members of the public to engage with.
Singapore is a global hub for architecture, and has a long list of award-winning buildings to its name. This includes the world’s tallest building, the SGX Centre, designed by architect Moshe Safdie, and the Interlace, a stacked apartment complex by OMA and German architect Ole Scheeren. In recent years, the city has also become a popular destination for international students, with its thriving arts and culture scene, and its reputation as a safe and clean city.
One of the latest additions to Singapore’s list of accolades is the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, which was created in 2021 and named after the country’s first prime minister. The prize is backed by grants from various philanthropists and was boosted this year by a donation from DBS. It is a prestigious honour that will give the winner a certificate and 16.5 OWGR points, as well as a host of standard Tour event-winning benefits.
In the last few years, there have been a number of projects from around the world that have won the prize. These include a post-earthquake reconstruction project in China, a new extension to the National Museum in Poland, and a stacked apartment building by architects OMA and Scheeren in Singapore. The winner will receive a certificate and a trophy, as well as a cash prize of US$30,000.
In addition to the main award, there is a special category called WAFX that celebrates ten interior design projects that have been shortlisted for the overall prize. The projects selected for this category can be either residential, workplaces or retail spaces. Those selected will be eligible to present their projects live at the Inside World Festival of Interiors, which takes place alongside WAF in Singapore. WAFX finalists will also be invited to attend a special panel discussion with the jury on the final day of the festival. The full shortlist for WAFX can be viewed here. Applicants were encouraged to submit their projects for consideration at the earliest opportunity. The closing date for entries was 31 August 2017. For more information about the contest, visit the WAF website here.