THE MANIFESTATION OF POSTMODERNISM IN SINGAPORE: USING WILLIAM LIM'S BUILT PROJECTS

Abstract

The emergence of Postmodernism has been widely discussed within diverse disciplines. Contrary to popular beliefs, postmodernism is not just another “universal style” in the late 20th century. However, it concerned a wider range of issues that affected many socio­‐cultural, economic and political views, which had been formed by Modernism’s totalising narratives. It is not entirely anti-­‐modern but it sought to subvert modernism’s strong powers in a world that had grown to be too multifaceted. This dissertation is an attempt to examine the relationship between postmodern architecture in Singapore and the issues raised through the works of William Lim who was a local key protagonist of the movement. With an understanding of Western postmodern theories and Singapore’s/Asia’s postmodern predicaments, this dissertation will expound on the differing issues faced between the West and Asia, revealing postmodernism’s manifestation in context‐specific ways. This process begins with the concerns raised throughout Lim’s postmodern discourse that include the issue of identity, heritage conservation as well as multiplicity and tolerance of differences, and investigating them through Lim’s works ranging from early modernist to one of his last built postmodern projects. Hence, the resultant product is a local adapted version of postmodernism, which responds to the local culture, traditions as well as the climate.