Singapore's unique emergence as a city-state has created extraordinary urban transformations for the island. William S.W. Lim posits the conceptual phenomenon of tabula rasa in Singapore only to transcend it and offer an alternative and minority discourse. In this book, Lim, a doyen of innovative architecture in Asia looks back from a historical vantage point on both the present and the future of Singapore society, especially in relation to architecture, urbanism, the arts, culture, public policies and national formation. Lim's account of architecture and national identity formation in Singapore comes at a time when identity has emerged as a contentious area within academic circles. Lim suggests that a vibrant and creative local culture must blossom within the context of new, complex and evolving identities and dynamic cultural pluralism.