Old Magazines

I met an elderly architect at an event last week and had heard from elsewhere that this architect is looking to give away his office’s collection of magazines. In fact, he had thrown away a sizable bit as his office downsized. After a couple of drinks, I asked him if he would consider giving them to the school library and me. He agreed, and yesterday, I went to his office and took quite a large stack of them. Some of these journals, our school already have, so he said I could just give these away to the students then.

I asked him again if he was sure he won’t need them anymore. He said he was winding down, even though he was still robust. He has had an active life in the profession, and has a ready opinion for a lot of things. (“Why are all the show rooms of the new condos the same? Can you imagine anyone actually living in those spaces?” “We must have more works published that are different from the glass and timber-louver type. Every house looks the same.” “The architecture of a campus must be consistent. Otherwise, it’s a collection of different buildings and it’s not a campus.”) On the walls are hung some classic B&W photos of projects from the firm’s glorious days in the 60s and 70s. One of them will be demolished soon, and I asked if we should not photograph it one last time before it’s gone. He agreed. When URA asked for submissions for last year’s “Singapore 1:1” exhibition, the firm did not have digital photos of these projects, and did not commission new photos for them. For this and other reasons, they did not submit any projects to the exhibition, even though some of their projects had been milestones in their time.

I went through some of the magazines last night, those from the years of 1993-1994. Attached to the covers were circulation lists. I could trace the initials and names of people in the office who were privileged to read them. I know one of them well. At the start of 1994, the circulation list was long, with 21 names. By late 1994, a new list registered only 10 names, with some cancelled and other names hand-written over. What happened in 1994? But in 2002, the firm had 12 names on the circulation list. My friend’s name has moved near the top. And then, abruptly, the firm is small again today, subsisting on houses and feasibility studies. What happened? And how will the firm evolve from here on?

My thoughts went back to that evening at the party last week. I had introduced this elderly architect to some friends. He enquired after each of us, and when we told him we’re all having our own practice, he was aghast. “Why are you all sole proprietors?” he asked. “Architecture is team work. It should be about a variety of ideas, and you should have a team of people, with different opinions and synergy.” He practiced what he preached. And he was never without some kind of collaboration or partnership throughout his whole career. This is despite the fact that partnerships can be turbulent at times, and no less enduring as individual practice. “Are you going to the SIA dinner?” I asked him. “No,” he said grimly. And then, hesitantly, he added, “We don’t have enough people to make a table.” And then he resumed urging us to make a better tomorrow.

Chup