Mok Wei Wei: Works by W Architects

Singaporean architect Mok Wei Wei joined William Lim Associates, later W Architects, in the 1980s, and now presents the first monograph of his work over the four decades since. While most is in Singapore and will register for many as ‘tropical architecture', Mok points out that even as this approach has become globally relevant for its sustainability, it is a colonial construct his practice finds limiting. ‘Instead, we trace the creative impetus and design approaches behind our works, which are not confined to climatic considerations,' he says.

Mok achieves this over three parts: Refract describes his personal search for creative directions from the early 1980s and his early collaborations with Lim, Respond covers works in Singapore responding to the forces that have shaped the practice's approach from the mid-1990s, and Reflect discusses the social and demographic forces impacting the firm's designs and how Singapore has become a global city. Each features an opening essay by Mok, and what stands out is the comprehensive treatment of the 24 projects. Insightful text combines with ample plans and thorough image selections (almost 600) to provide a genuinely illuminating look at Mok's work, bookended by essays by architecture professors Jiat-Hwee Chang and Leon van Schaik.