Mr. Alfred Wong is one of the earliest Singapore architects educated overseas. After graduating from Melbourne University in 1953, he started his company Alfred Wong Partnership (now AWP Architects) in 1957. His most well-known work, the National Theatre at Fort Canning, enabled Singaporeans to participate in cultural events and facilitated the grooming of a generation of performers. He can also be credited for the Marco Polo Hotel, Singapore Tourism Board Headquarters, Singapore Polytechnic, St. Joseph’s Institution, Changi Vocational and Industrial Training Board (now ITE College East) and Keppel Distripark. Mr Wong is also recognized as the founding member of the Singapore Institute of Architects, where he played an active role in creating an independent professional organization. He became the youngest President of SIA, and went on to serve for another four terms between 1962 and 1966. It was in his capacity as an architect that Wong became recognized for his contributions to education. He served as a member of the Singapore Polytechnic (SP) School of Architecture, and it was he who later advocated that architectural training should be transferred to the university. It was in large part due to his commitment that the NUS School of Architecture received formal recognition from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)/Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA). Mr Wong has also served on many public bodies such as the National Heritage Board, Preservation of Monuments Board and the University Council. He was awarded the Public Service Star (Bintang Bakti Masyarakat) in 2005 and SIA’s first Gold Medal in 1998.
