Singapore Women's Hall of Fame

Angelene Chan

Visionary Architect

Resorts World in Singapore, Noon Square in Seoul, and the Dubai Mall are far-flung retail and entertainment centres connected by one woman. Singaporean Angelene Chan, executive chairman of DP Architects, spearheaded the design of all three projects. 

An architect of 38 years, almost all of them at DP, she rose the ranks of one of the largest architecture companies in Singapore to become its first female CEO, a post she held for five years before being appointed its executive chairman. 

And in that time, Angelene led teams that designed a long list of commercial buildings here, winning significant awards, such as the President's Design Award – Design of the Year in 2009, 2015 and 2018, before she moved to international projects in Malaysia, Vietnam, the Middle East and North Africa, and Europe. In 2018, she was also conferred the Designer of the Year at the prestigious President’s Design Awards, again a first for a woman. 

“Architecture is such a global industry – ideas don’t have borders; as long as you have a good idea, and the confidence to explore, you can work anywhere in the world,” she told Interior Design in 2016. 

Born in Malaysia, Angelene credits her family for igniting her interest in design and building. An uncle used to draw black lines with a fine-nibbed pen that became walls, windows and entire buildings on paper. “I was captivated by the idea that a simple line could decide where light falls, how people move and how a family lives. It felt like drawing the future with your own hands,” she said. 

And when her parents renovated their house, they allowed Angelene, then aged 12, to sketch ideas, speak to the builders and even help select finishing materials. “That trust was the most powerful encouragement I could have received,” she said. 

Angelene studied architecture at the University of Adelaide, where she got a few awards under her belt even before she graduated top of her class. She worked in Canberra for a few years, got married, and in 1990, moved to Singapore and joined DP, then the largest architecture company here. 

She said DP was her first choice because the firm was involved in many significant projects that would change Singapore’s built landscape – Marina Square, Millenia development, Suntec City, Resorts World and the SAFTI Military Institute.  

An Orchard Road project she described as career defining was Wisma Atria, which has changed owners three times. While the original design was led by then DP chairman Francis Lee, Angelene led the upgrades in 2004 and 2012. 

For the first upgrade, external escalators were built on Orchard Road which moved the atrium-centric mall to one that linked to the street.  

For the second, a crystalline façade was built over the building’s existing blue-grid frame. Angelene said this gave Wisma Atria a new lease of life without extensive demolition or rebuilding –  a more sustainable form of development. 

While much progress has been made on sustainability here, Angelene said real progress requires a longer-term mindset – one that prioritises climate resilience and human well-being over short-term cost considerations. “While many leaders are actively encouraging innovation, others remain cautious due to budget constraints or risk aversion,” she said. 

Outside of DP, she has been on several boards in the building industry, including the Urban Redevelopment Board, Singapore Land Authority, the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore, the Sentosa Development Corporation, and the Housing Development Board’s Architectural Design Panel. 

In 2022, she was awarded the MND Medallion for her contributions as a board member on Singapore’s Board of Architects and the Professional Engineers Board. 

She believes architects here are poised to do well globally because of Singapore’s complex urban environments, high-density living and diverse cultures. “We are trained to be adaptable, pragmatic, efficient and forward-thinking. The strong regulatory framework, technical rigor and emphasis on quality also give us a competitive edge,” she said. 

Angelene has also been a member of the Board of Trustees at the National University of Singapore and the Vice-Chairperson of the Dover Park Hospice governing council.  

She has long advocated for more women to join the industry and take on leadership roles. She said when she became an architect, women were still breaking new ground in the field. But now, more women are leading major projects and establishing their own practises.  

“There is still progress to be made. What I would like to see is not only more women in the field, but more women in leadership – winning significant commissions, shaping policy and setting the tone for our built environment,” she said. 

“Architecture is not just about concrete and glass; it’s about empathy, imagination and courage. Women bring unique insights shaped by their experiences, values and perspectives, which enrich the profession and the spaces we create.”