Home / Personalities

Koh Seow Chuan

Koh Seow Chuan (b. 1939, Singapore - ) is the founder and senior director of DP Architects, one of Singapore's most established architectural firms. He is also an internationally renowned philatelist and a prominent heritage philanthropist. His innovative undertaking of the architectural blueprint of The Esplanade- Theatres on the Bay earned him the Royal Institute of British Architects' Worldwide Design Award in 2005 and the President's Design Award in 2006. In 2009, he was bestowed the Distinguished Patron of Heritage Award for his outstanding contributions towards the preservation of local heritage, history and the arts. 

Education and Career
Koh obtained his early education in Singapore where he was born. His interest in architecture led him to pursue a Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Melbourne. He graduated in 1963.

In 1967, he established Design Partnership (renamed DP Architects Pte. Ltd in 1975), a full-service architecture firm, with fellow pioneering founders, William Lim and Tay Kheng Soon. He provided capable leadership and direction during its formative years, and undertook large-scale architectural projects both locally and within the region. The firm is reputed to provide design excellence and a comprehensive repertoire of services. Today, the DP Group of Companies has expanded to include offices in Southeast Asia, China and the Middle East, handling major international projects such as the Dubai Mall.

Under Koh's leadership, DP Architects has been responsible for many iconic buildings in Singapore, including Suntec City, Paragon, Bugis Junction and Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay as well as other institutional, religious, industrial and hospitality projects. Their diverse architectural projects include St Andrew's Cathedral, the Central Sikh Temple, Renci Hospital, the National Library, Republic Polytechnic and the Singapore Flyer. 

Koh is a member of various professional associations, including the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Malaysian Institute of Architects, the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and the Singapore Institute of Architects.

For his work in the building of the Esplanade, Koh was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects' Worldwide Design Award in 2005 and the President's Design Award in 2006, in recognition of the landmark's sophisticated and innovative architectural design. 

Philately
A passionate philatelist, Koh has been collecting stamps since he was five years old. Intrigued by the foreign stamps that his father, a gold bullion trader, brought home from overseas, he turned his childhood hobby into a serious investment in his late 20s. His career as an architect allowed him to travel around the region amassing a large collection of valuable stamps steeped in historical significance.

Together with a group of other philately enthusiasts, Koh helped to officially establish the Inter-Asia Philately Federation in 1974, holding the position of General Secretary. In 1995, Koh was the Vice-President of the organising committee of the Singapore World Stamp Exhibition, and showcased his stamp collection, Straits Settlements Revenues, which dates from the 1860s, at the Singapore Philatelic Museum. Over the years, Koh has served as President of the Singapore Stamp Club (1969-1976), President of the Association of Singapore Philatelists (1989-2002), Chairman of the Singapore Philatelic Museum (2001-2005) and President of the Federation of International Philately (2002-2006). 

Besides holding numerous notable positions, Koh also holds the distinction of being the first Singaporean to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists by the British Philatelic Federation in 1992. In 1989, he was awarded the Large Gold Medal at the Paris World Stamp Exhibition for a collection of Southeast Asian stamps. In 1996, his collection of stamps issued in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia from 1851-1867 earned him the Grand Prix National Award at the World Philatelic Exhibition in Canada. He is also the first Singaporean to win an international stamp-collecting award in North America. 

Philanthropy
Koh's contribution towards the preservation of Singapore's national heritage has been invaluable. Besides stamps, Koh also possesses an extensive collection of historical documents, old postcards, cultural artefacts, maps, photographs, antique books and art pieces.

His interest in local heritage and the arts has led him to serve in various capacities. A member of the National Heritage Board since 1997 and former Chairman of the Singapore Art Museum, he is currently the Chairman of the National Art Gallery, a new visual arts institution dedicated to the research and appreciation of local and Southeast Asian art.

In 2003, Koh donated 150 paintings by Singaporean artist Lim Tze Peng and in 2006, 63 works by expressionist artist Wong Keen to the Singapore Art Museum. In the years 2007 to 2008, Koh donated over 2,700 historical items from the 19th and early 20th century, including legal documents and rare maps, to the National Library Board (NLB) as well as over 90,000 historic photographs and postcards to the Singapore Philatelic Museum. The Koh Seow Chuan Collection at the NLB is a historically significant resource for the study of local colonial communities and the social history of Singapore.

In recognition of his efforts in preserving historically invaluable fragments of the past and his generous contributions towards Singapore's heritage and the arts, Koh was bestowed the Patron of the Arts award in 2004 and the Patron of Heritage award in 2006. In 2009, he received the Distinguished Patron of Heritage Award.

Family
Koh is married to Lim Wen Gin, a retired chief planner of the Urban Redevelopment Authority. They have three daughters and a son.

Quote: Knowing and understanding our heritage is like laying the foundations of multi-storey buildings. The knowledge keeps our life steady and provides us with the ability to make necessary changes during our lifetime (Presents of the Past, The Straits Times, 16 April 2009, p.C2).

Appointments
1969-1976 : President, Singapore Stamp Club
1989-2002 : President, Association of Singapore Philatelists
1997 : Member, Singapore Heritage Board
2001-2005 : Chairman, Singapore Philatelic Museum
2002-2006 : President, Federation of International Philately
2009 : Chairman, National Art Gallery

Awards
1960 : Winner, Design Competition, Beaumaris
1960 : Winner, Dunlop Rubber Australia Pte. Ltd. Prize
1971 : The Public Service Star for Community Service
1989 : Large Gold Medal, Paris World Stamp Exhibition
1989-1994 : Friend of the Kreta Ayer Community Centre
1992 : The first Singaporean to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists (RDP) by the British Philatelic Federation
1996 : Grand Prix National Award at the World Philatelic Exhibition in Canada
2004 : Patron of the Arts Award
2005 : Worldwide Design Award (Royal Institute of British Architects Worldwide Awards)
2006 : President's Design Award
2006 : Patron of Heritage Award
2009 : Distinguished Patron of Heritage Award



Author
Sheena Kumari Singh



References
Architects of Singapore. (1997). Australia: Mulgrave, Images.
(Call no.: RSING English 720 ARC)

DP Architects. (n.d.) Retrieved August 12, 2009, from http://www.dpa.com.sg/main.html 

Federation of Inter-Asian Philately. (n.d.). The Birth of FIAP. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from http://www.asiaphilately.com/abtus.html

He has 310,000 postcards in his collection. (1995, June 2). The Straits Times. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Factiva database.

Ng, Erin., et al. (2007). DP Architects: [The Works Since 1967]. Singapore: DP Architects Pte. Ltd.
(Call no.: RSING English 720.95957 DP)

Original Documents and Stamps Tell Story of Early Singapore. (1997, February 23). The Straits Times. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Factiva database.

Philatelist Wins Top International Award. (1996, July 24). The Straits Times. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Factiva database.

Philanthropy Special: Whats in your Art Collection? (2007, November 30). The Wall Street Journal Asia. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Factiva database.

Presents of the Past. (2009, April 16). The Straits Times. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Factiva database.

Stamping his mark. (2003, November 16). The Straits Times. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Factiva database.


The information in this article is valid as at 2009 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Personalities>>Biographies
Koh, Seow Chuan, 1939-
Architects--Singapore--Biography
Stamp collectors--Singapore--Biography
Philanthropists--Singapore--Biography
Award winners--Singapore--Biography
Business, finance and industry>>Industry>>Construction and real estate>>Buildings construction
Sports, recreation and travel>>Handicrafts and hobbies>>Antiques and collecting>>Stamps



All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2009.