Designing a building from scratch is “very simple”, according to Lionel Leow. All the director of TA.LE Architects needs is a pencil, a sheet of paper and the freedom to imagine a concept based on the client's brief.
It is therefore surprising that Leow prefers not to take on such projects. Instead, he gravitates towards renovation work, whether involving commercial properties or conservation buildings. Recently completed examples include the 44-storey Hong Leong Building, City Square Mall and several shophouses on Amoy Street.
“It is not the easiest, taking about 20 per cent more effort and cost. In order for it to work, you really have to understand what is existing. Any new things that you suggest or impose have to work very well with the old or it’ll look very strange. This is something that we enjoy doing,” said the 47-year-old.
What Leow is really suggesting is that he is averse to demolishing and rebuilding on the same site. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the dominant mindset among developers in Singapore. Even within the architectural community, he knew of firms that rejected renovation or addition and alteration (A&A) projects. While this approach was better for the bottom line, its negative environmental impact was largely ignored.
Rather than demolish and rebuild, TA.LE Architects rejuvenated Hong Leong Building through a renovation that extended the building’s life and reflected Lionel Leow’s sustainability-led approach. (Photo: TA.LE Architects)
Fortunately, a younger generation now taking the helm of real estate companies has brought greater awareness of sustainability to the construction industry. “Some of them really embrace this idea. I think we have been educated enough to know that we must stop causing harm to the environment. Renovation and conservation are part of this bigger trend,” said Leow.
The numbers speak for themselves. According to the World Green Building Council, buildings currently account for 39 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions. Of this, 11 per cent is attributable to construction and the production of building materials – known as embodied carbon. The remainder comes from operational emissions, such as the energy used to cool buildings.
Leow noted that choosing A&A over rebuilding can reduce embodied carbon by 50 per cent to 75 per cent. That is why, when his firm was approached to rejuvenate the 50-year-old Hong Leong Building, he said yes without hesitation. Completed in December 2025, the project features a redesigned podium facade that conceals the carpark while maintaining natural ventilation, a refreshed lobby, upgraded toilets and lift lobbies, and a new vehicular drop-off to improve accessibility.
TA.LE Architects refreshed the 50-year-old Hong Leong Building with a redesigned podium facade, upgraded interiors and a new vehicular drop-off. (Photo: TA.LE Architects)
“The building is their flagship and there’s a lot of sentimental value. They were not ready to just erase the memory and start from scratch. Yet, they knew they wanted to upgrade to keep up with the rest of its modern neighbours,” said Leow.
An added layer of complexity in such projects is that occupants tend to carry on with business as usual. This was the case even at City Square Mall, where not a single tenant moved out during the renovations.
While Leow and his team may plan to the nth degree, he said the contractors are the “unsung heroes of such projects”. Working through the night, they ensure the site is clean and tidy by daybreak, when occupants return to work or to shop.
At City Square Mall, TA.LE Architects worked with the client to reinforce its reputation as Singapore’s first eco mall. The lift lobbies are clad in panels made from recycled materials such as disposable chopsticks, mineral water bottles and bubble wrap. Leow said the firm also worked with a signage consultant to install explanatory signs to raise awareness.
“We really wanted to make it an educational project. Often, when we talk about green buildings, people have no idea what it means. This is the first building in Singapore that tries to educate the public through materials.”
The renovated City Square Mall reflects Lionel Leow and his team's effort to reinforce the mall’s identity as Singapore’s first eco mall. (Photo: TA.LE Architects)
For Leow, the case against demolition ultimately rests on something less quantifiable: the preservation of cultural memory and urban identity, a dimension of the work he came to appreciate only gradually.
“They carry memories, stories and cultural identity. When we work on them, we are not just repairing structures – we are interpreting the emotions and histories embedded within them.”
He cited the conservation of the shophouse at 89 Tanjong Pagar Road. Its location within the Chinatown Historic District meant it was subject to the strictest conservation guidelines set out by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). For instance, the facade had to be restored to its original condition, in keeping with the Late Shophouse Style.
The restoration of 89 Tanjong Pagar Road included blue tones chosen to acknowledge the journeys and hopes of early settlers. (Photo: TA.LE Architects)
TA.LE Architects introduced hues of blue in reference to the seas many early migrants crossed to reach Singapore. Tanjong Pagar was once part of a historic Chinese village, and the gesture acknowledged the journeys and hopes of those early settlers.
At nearby 77/78/80 Amoy Street – a trio of shophouses – they treated the project as a cultural narrative. The front facade was carefully restored, with red used as an accent colour for its auspicious significance in Chinese culture. Calligraphic characters derived from Chinese Buddhist texts were introduced to reflect the spiritual and cultural traditions of the immigrants who once lived there. Inside, brick cladding evokes the atmosphere of what was once a vibrant trading lane.
The restored shophouses at 77/78/80 Amoy Street feature red accents chosen for their auspicious significance in Chinese culture. (Photo: TA.LE Architects)
Even in projects not formally classified as conservation works, this thinking shaped their approach. One of their earlier A&A projects was the luxury mall Palais Renaissance. Inspired by its name, Leow and his team focused on elevating the atmosphere through “subtle transformation”, realising its “rebirth” through their interpretation of French savoir faire.
Its quiet, intimate character was maintained through contemporary materials such as copper, as well as improved circulation and clearer spatial connections between levels. To retain its elegant, high-end character, artisanal techniques such as marquetry and mosaic work were incorporated into the material palette.
“Thanks to these projects, I’ve come to see them not just as preserving buildings, but as preserving emotions, stories and cultural memory within the urban environment.”
Despite the extra time and effort that A&A work demands, Leow intends to stay the course. It helps that, given the breadth of projects it has worked on, TA.LE Architects has built a reputation in this area. Internally, the team has refined the process into a fine art.
The first step is to review the building’s documents and walk through the site to understand its existing conditions. From there, the team is briefed on what can and cannot be changed, and on what additional works need to be carried out.
Leow said: “After understanding the bones and structure of the building, we then come up with ideas to reinterpret some of these spaces. This means proposing designs that change the look and feel of the existing space, such as a better vehicular drop off or modernising the interiors.”
Leow became a proponent of A&A during his time at Delft University of Technology, where he completed a Master of Architecture programme from 2004 to 2006. This followed a bachelor’s degree from the National University of Singapore.
While in the Netherlands, he noticed that the Dutch were averse to demolishing buildings: “The funny thing is they didn’t even have strict guidelines, like a URA, saying that you have to conserve. It was very natural that something old was not automatically torn down.”
He brought this thinking back to Singapore, especially after setting up TA.LE Architects with his wife, Tay Yanling, in 2014. The name, formed from the first two letters of their surnames, is particularly fitting, since they “believe there is a meaningful story behind every well-designed space”.
In the past, he noted, buildings here were designed to last at least 60 years but were demolished in a third of that time: “Nobody cared, because a lot of things were economically driven. But we were really doing the environment a disfavour.”
As such attitudes increasingly fade, Leow sees only opportunity in the A&A work he does: “Singapore has a limited amount of land and there is only so much we can build and tear down. One of the most sustainable things we can do as architects is to extend the life of what already exists. Between demolishing a building and giving it a second lease of life lies the imagination of the designer and their ability to see how it can be meaningful to the community.”
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It is therefore surprising that Leow prefers not to take on such projects. Instead, he gravitates towards renovation work, whether involving commercial properties or conservation buildings. Recently completed examples include the 44-storey Hong Leong Building, City Square Mall and several shophouses on Amoy Street.
“It is not the easiest, taking about 20 per cent more effort and cost. In order for it to work, you really have to understand what is existing. Any new things that you suggest or impose have to work very well with the old or it’ll look very strange. This is something that we enjoy doing,” said the 47-year-old.
What Leow is really suggesting is that he is averse to demolishing and rebuilding on the same site. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the dominant mindset among developers in Singapore. Even within the architectural community, he knew of firms that rejected renovation or addition and alteration (A&A) projects. While this approach was better for the bottom line, its negative environmental impact was largely ignored.
Rather than demolish and rebuild, TA.LE Architects rejuvenated Hong Leong Building through a renovation that extended the building’s life and reflected Lionel Leow’s sustainability-led approach. (Photo: TA.LE Architects)
Fortunately, a younger generation now taking the helm of real estate companies has brought greater awareness of sustainability to the construction industry. “Some of them really embrace this idea. I think we have been educated enough to know that we must stop causing harm to the environment. Renovation and conservation are part of this bigger trend,” said Leow.
SPACE FOR SUSTAINABILITY
The numbers speak for themselves. According to the World Green Building Council, buildings currently account for 39 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions. Of this, 11 per cent is attributable to construction and the production of building materials – known as embodied carbon. The remainder comes from operational emissions, such as the energy used to cool buildings.
Leow noted that choosing A&A over rebuilding can reduce embodied carbon by 50 per cent to 75 per cent. That is why, when his firm was approached to rejuvenate the 50-year-old Hong Leong Building, he said yes without hesitation. Completed in December 2025, the project features a redesigned podium facade that conceals the carpark while maintaining natural ventilation, a refreshed lobby, upgraded toilets and lift lobbies, and a new vehicular drop-off to improve accessibility.
TA.LE Architects refreshed the 50-year-old Hong Leong Building with a redesigned podium facade, upgraded interiors and a new vehicular drop-off. (Photo: TA.LE Architects)
“The building is their flagship and there’s a lot of sentimental value. They were not ready to just erase the memory and start from scratch. Yet, they knew they wanted to upgrade to keep up with the rest of its modern neighbours,” said Leow.
An added layer of complexity in such projects is that occupants tend to carry on with business as usual. This was the case even at City Square Mall, where not a single tenant moved out during the renovations.
While Leow and his team may plan to the nth degree, he said the contractors are the “unsung heroes of such projects”. Working through the night, they ensure the site is clean and tidy by daybreak, when occupants return to work or to shop.
At City Square Mall, TA.LE Architects worked with the client to reinforce its reputation as Singapore’s first eco mall. The lift lobbies are clad in panels made from recycled materials such as disposable chopsticks, mineral water bottles and bubble wrap. Leow said the firm also worked with a signage consultant to install explanatory signs to raise awareness.
“We really wanted to make it an educational project. Often, when we talk about green buildings, people have no idea what it means. This is the first building in Singapore that tries to educate the public through materials.”
The renovated City Square Mall reflects Lionel Leow and his team's effort to reinforce the mall’s identity as Singapore’s first eco mall. (Photo: TA.LE Architects)
EVERY BRICK TELLS A STORY
For Leow, the case against demolition ultimately rests on something less quantifiable: the preservation of cultural memory and urban identity, a dimension of the work he came to appreciate only gradually.
“They carry memories, stories and cultural identity. When we work on them, we are not just repairing structures – we are interpreting the emotions and histories embedded within them.”
He cited the conservation of the shophouse at 89 Tanjong Pagar Road. Its location within the Chinatown Historic District meant it was subject to the strictest conservation guidelines set out by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). For instance, the facade had to be restored to its original condition, in keeping with the Late Shophouse Style.
The restoration of 89 Tanjong Pagar Road included blue tones chosen to acknowledge the journeys and hopes of early settlers. (Photo: TA.LE Architects)
TA.LE Architects introduced hues of blue in reference to the seas many early migrants crossed to reach Singapore. Tanjong Pagar was once part of a historic Chinese village, and the gesture acknowledged the journeys and hopes of those early settlers.
At nearby 77/78/80 Amoy Street – a trio of shophouses – they treated the project as a cultural narrative. The front facade was carefully restored, with red used as an accent colour for its auspicious significance in Chinese culture. Calligraphic characters derived from Chinese Buddhist texts were introduced to reflect the spiritual and cultural traditions of the immigrants who once lived there. Inside, brick cladding evokes the atmosphere of what was once a vibrant trading lane.
The restored shophouses at 77/78/80 Amoy Street feature red accents chosen for their auspicious significance in Chinese culture. (Photo: TA.LE Architects)
Even in projects not formally classified as conservation works, this thinking shaped their approach. One of their earlier A&A projects was the luxury mall Palais Renaissance. Inspired by its name, Leow and his team focused on elevating the atmosphere through “subtle transformation”, realising its “rebirth” through their interpretation of French savoir faire.
Its quiet, intimate character was maintained through contemporary materials such as copper, as well as improved circulation and clearer spatial connections between levels. To retain its elegant, high-end character, artisanal techniques such as marquetry and mosaic work were incorporated into the material palette.
“Thanks to these projects, I’ve come to see them not just as preserving buildings, but as preserving emotions, stories and cultural memory within the urban environment.”
GOING DUTCH
Despite the extra time and effort that A&A work demands, Leow intends to stay the course. It helps that, given the breadth of projects it has worked on, TA.LE Architects has built a reputation in this area. Internally, the team has refined the process into a fine art.
The first step is to review the building’s documents and walk through the site to understand its existing conditions. From there, the team is briefed on what can and cannot be changed, and on what additional works need to be carried out.
Leow said: “After understanding the bones and structure of the building, we then come up with ideas to reinterpret some of these spaces. This means proposing designs that change the look and feel of the existing space, such as a better vehicular drop off or modernising the interiors.”
Leow became a proponent of A&A during his time at Delft University of Technology, where he completed a Master of Architecture programme from 2004 to 2006. This followed a bachelor’s degree from the National University of Singapore.
While in the Netherlands, he noticed that the Dutch were averse to demolishing buildings: “The funny thing is they didn’t even have strict guidelines, like a URA, saying that you have to conserve. It was very natural that something old was not automatically torn down.”
He brought this thinking back to Singapore, especially after setting up TA.LE Architects with his wife, Tay Yanling, in 2014. The name, formed from the first two letters of their surnames, is particularly fitting, since they “believe there is a meaningful story behind every well-designed space”.
In the past, he noted, buildings here were designed to last at least 60 years but were demolished in a third of that time: “Nobody cared, because a lot of things were economically driven. But we were really doing the environment a disfavour.”
As such attitudes increasingly fade, Leow sees only opportunity in the A&A work he does: “Singapore has a limited amount of land and there is only so much we can build and tear down. One of the most sustainable things we can do as architects is to extend the life of what already exists. Between demolishing a building and giving it a second lease of life lies the imagination of the designer and their ability to see how it can be meaningful to the community.”
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