RASA-TABULA-SINGAPURA
© Giorgio Schirato Photography I Installation view of the Singapore Pavilion.
The Singapore Pavilion at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 celebrates the 60th anniversary of Singapore’s independence with a multisensory experience titled RASA-TABULA-SINGAPURA. This innovative concept reinterprets the notion of tabula rasa not as an erasure of the past, but as a continuous process of evolution and cultural layering. The name itself reflects Singapore’s identity: rasa means taste in Malay, tabula refers to the table in Latin, and Singapura is the Sanskrit name for the “Lion City.” This convergence represents Singapore’s history, shaped by centuries of movement, exchange, and reinvention. Commissioned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg), the Pavilion is organized by the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and curated by a multidisciplinary team of experts in architecture, design, and urban planning: Prof. Tai Lee Siang, Prof. Khoo Peng Beng, Prof. Dr. Erwin Viray, Dr. Jason Lim, Dr. Sam Conrad Joyce, and Dr. Immanuel Koh.
© arcomai I Installation view of the Singapore Pavilion.
This exhibition aligns with the theme of this edition of the Biennale, titled: “Intelligens: Natural. Artificial. Collective.” The concept is based on the word intelligence and gens, meaning “people” in Latin. The Singapore Pavilion utilizes this idea to illustrate the city’s super-diversity, showing how the fusion of global and local influences, advanced technologies, and the movement of people, goods, and ideas contributes to its constant reinvention. Through interactive installations, visitors are immersed in a reflection on how the principles of density, diversity, and design are balanced in Singapore’s urban planning, creating a resilient and adaptable ecosystem.
© arcomai I Installation view of the Singapore Pavilion.
The exhibition is not just a celebration of what has been built, but also a laboratory of ideas on how to envision the future. In the curators’ intent, the installation becomes a living forum, a space where visitors can connect with the creative process driving the city’s transformation. The exhibition highlights how urban design, policies, and emerging technologies can shape more inclusive and sustainable environments. Singapore, with its limited land availability, has developed a planning approach that harmonizes housing density, cultural values, and environmental needs, creating spaces that support urban life in all its facets.
© arcomai I Installation view of the Singapore Pavilion.
The central theme of the exhibition revolves around commensality, a fundamental aspect of Singaporean culture, where food serves as a bridge between different communities and a common language among diverse populations. Through this approach, the Pavilion explores the intersection of architecture, politics, and participatory design, highlighting how these elements shape everyday life and urban development in Singapore.
© arcomai I Installation view of the Singapore Pavilion.
The exhibition is structured as a menu, with each architectural project representing a “course” that offers insights into urban planning and Singaporean identity. Among the “main courses,” the Pinnacle@Duxton stands out as an innovative residential development embodying Singapore’s bold approach to urban density and quality of life. Another key project is Tengah, an eco-district integrating nature into the urban fabric, while Changi Airport exemplifies Singapore’s focus on mobility and efficiency. One of the exhibition’s highlights is CapitaSpring, a 280-meter-tall tropical skyscraper in the Central Business District, representing Singapore’s progressive approach to urban sustainability. Through the Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH) policy, the project incorporates over 80,000 plants, including a four-story vertical oasis rising 100 meters, one of the largest publicly accessible green spaces in commercial buildings.
© arcomai I Installation view of the Singapore Pavilion.
RASA-TABULA-SINGAPURA is more than an exhibition – it is a celebration of Singapore’s urban identity and its ongoing evolution. Through a dialogue between past, present, and future, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the possibilities offered by a city that, while starting from a tabula rasa, has constantly reinvented itself, becoming a global model of innovation, sustainability, and inclusion.
© arcomai I Installation view of the Singapore Pavilion.