Singapore Archifest 2023

Singapore Archifest 2023 is an architecture festival commissioned by the Singapore Institute of Architects, with Calvin Chua appointed as Festival Director.

“Interim: Acts of Adaptation” is the overarching theme of the 17th edition of Singapore Archifest. It is an invitation to rethink our built environment as continually being in a state of transition, lasting from 29 Sep 2023 to 28 Oct 2023.

Taking the form of an urban laboratory, Archifest 2023 presents a convergence of people and issues investigating the potential of “interim” architecture as a normative mode of action in response to pressing environmental, cultural and technological change.

This year’s festival takes on many new components, guided by a new sens of what an industry festival for the built environment can do. A big manuever that characterised this year’s festival
was the shift from insular venues to an entire district, thereby externalising many activities and treating the festival as a protoyping space rather than a strict showcase.

Singapore Archifest 2023 was dispersed across Kampong Gelam, with distributed Urban Installations replacing a pavilion, and over 80% of events taking place within the district. The use of the Festival House for the AF Exhibition and events on the second floor anchored the physical presence of the festival, acting as a concierge for the festival.

The festival brought together 10 established and emergent voices in architecture fro the region and beyond in the Conference, which focused on cross-practice dialogues. The Exhibition received contributions from 37 local and regional exhibitors. The new Residency invited 6 regional architects to stay in a vernacular shophouse and participate in festival events.

archifest.sg

Year 2023 Location Singapore, concentrated in Kampong Gelam Commissioned by Singapore Institute of Architects Partners Urban Redevelopment Authority, Kampong Gelam Alliance Format Festival with 6 Main Programmes  Status Completed