Koh Seow Chuan is the founder and senior consultant of DP Architects whose work with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay earned the 2005 Royal Institute of British Architects' Worldwide Design Award and the 2006 President's Design Award. He is also a distinguished philatelist and avid collector of historical artefacts whose donations to the National Library Board have resulted in the creation of the Koh Seow Chuan Collection, providing researchers with insight into the social history of Singapore, particularly in 19th and early 20th century. In 2009, he was bestowed the Distinguished Patron of Heritage Award for his contributions towards the preservation of local heritage, history and the arts.

Koh Seow Chuan was born in 1939 in Singapore. His parents were China-born—his father having migrated from Gulangyu, Xiamen, to Singapore with Koh’s grandfather and uncles in the early 1930s. The Kohs set up gold bullion trading businesses in Southeast Asia, with Koh’s grandfather, second uncle and father (the eldest son) starting a company in Singapore while his other uncles started companies in Malaysia and Indonesia. Koh’s parents and grandfather were staunch adult Protestant converts. As a result, Koh, the youngest of 11 children, grew up immersed in both business and Protestant Christianity, influences whose innate pragmatism helped to shape Seow Chuan’s growth in adulthood.

At the age of four, Koh became fascinated with the art works on postage stamps. However his artistic interest was that of a collector rather than an art-maker, and a young Koh started collecting stamps passionately. At first it was a childhood hobby that continued throughout his school years in Monk’s Hill Primary School and Anglo-Chinese School where he started the first stamp club around 1953. Then in his late 20s, it grew into an investment-hobby when he started building a valuable collection with historical significance.

In 1974, he and other philately enthusiasts formed the Inter-Asia Philately Federation of which he was general secretary. That marked the start of Koh’s many philatelic association posts including president of the Singapore Stamp Club (1969–1976), president of the Association of Singapore Philatelists (1989–2002), chairman of the Singapore Philatelic Museum (2001–2005) and president of the Federation of International Philately (2002–2006). He also became the first Singaporean to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists by the British Philatelic Federation in 1992, and won several philatelic awards such as 1989’s Large Gold Medal at the Paris World Stamp Exhibition for his collection of Southeast Asian stamps and the 1996 Grand Prix National Award at the World Philatelic Exhibition in Canada for a collection of 19th-century stamps of Canada.

Koh’s stamp collecting led to him also becoming an avid collector of historical artefacts and art works. By the 2000s, after being a member of the National Heritage Board in 1997, he had amassed a large collection of historical documents, photographs, postcards, maps, antique books, art works and cultural and historical artefacts dating back to the 1800s. He made donations of 150 paintings by Singapore artist Lim Tze Peng in 2003 and 63 paintings by Singapore artist Wong Keen in 2006 to the Singapore Art Museum. In 2007 and 2008, he donated over 90,000 historic photographs and postcards to the Singapore Philatelic Museum and more than 2,700 historical items from the 19th and early 20th century to the National Library Board, resulting in the creation of the Koh Seow Chuan Collection which today provides researchers with insight into the social history of Singapore.

In 1971, Koh received the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) for his service to the community. He received the Patron of the Arts award in 2004 and the Patron of Heritage award in 2006. In 2009, Koh received the Distinguished Patron of Heritage Award by the National Heritage Board for his outstanding contributions towards the preservation of Singapore heritage, history and the arts. The same year, he was appointed the Chairman of Singapore’s National Art Gallery (now National Gallery Singapore), a position he held till 2013. In 2012, Koh received the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Lintang) [Public Service Star (Bar)].

Koh also became a co-founder of one of Singapore’s largest and most established architectural firms in 1967. He had pursued architectural studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia and graduated in 1963. Four years later, with partners William Lim and Tay Kheng Soon, he founded the Design Partnership. It was renamed DP Architects in 1975 and expanded to include offices abroad and large-scale iconic projects throughout Singapore and other parts of the world. One of these projects was Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay for which the firm earned the Royal Institute of British Architects' Worldwide Design Award in 2005 and the President's Design Award in 2006.

Although Koh retired from DP Architects in 2004, he currently continues to serve as a senior consultant to the firm. Moreover, he remains passionate about his stamp and artefact collections, and continues his interest in art and heritage.