Brother Joseph McNally
Founder, LASALLE College of the Arts
Awarded Posthumously

The late Brother Joseph McNally, founder of LASALLE College of the Arts, was a strong advocate for the arts and art education, and despite a lack of support from the government during the time, he pushed through with his vision of setting up an arts school by injecting his own savings into the venture.

Despite its humble beginnings with only 27 students, Brother McNally, who had until then been a teacher and artist for a large part of his life, continued to provide mentorship and guidance to the aspiring artists who passed through LASALLE. At the same time, he spearheaded the creation of the art syllabus and the Art Elective Programme (AEP) with the Ministry of Education, providing hundreds of budding young artists in Singapore with the opportunity to hone their craft.

Brother McNally’s work in the sphere of arts and design education has had a huge impact on the education landscape in Singapore, as well as on the formalisation and recognition of diplomas in the field. In honour of the contributions he has made, the government presented Brother McNally with the Meritorious Service Medal in 1997.

The Award was accepted by our Board Member Brother Paul Ho (middle) on behalf of Brother Joseph McNally.

Mr Koh Seow Chuan
Board Member, LASALLE

Mr Koh Seow Chuan is the key founder of DP Architects, one of the largest architectural firms in Singapore today. He remained with the practice from its founding in 1967 until his retirement in November 2004. With the principles and key values that Mr Koh established during DP Architect’s formative years, the firm survived four recessions in its 48 years, and has even grown to be one of the most respected full-service architectural practice locally and regionally.

Mr Koh himself was a driving force behind some of the firm’s most significant projects, including the People’s Park Complex, Ridgewood Condominium, Marina Square, Temasek Polytechnic, and Esplanade Theatres by the Bay.

In 2005, Mr. Koh received the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Worldwide Design Award as well as the inaugural Singapore President’s Design Award in 2006 for his work on the Esplanade project. He was also named Distinguished Patron of Heritage in 2009 for his numerous generous donations and contributions to Singapore art and heritage. In 2015, he received the Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award.

Mr Teo Tong How, Daniel
Foundation Board Member

Prof Lim S.W. William
Foundation Board Member

Mr Wee Chwee Heng
Foundation Board Member

Mr Loh Khee Yew
Dean, Faculty of Design (1992-1995)