What makes architecture timeless? Three judges of the Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026 share why performance, identity, and connection to place are the foundations of buildings that remain relevant for decades.
Key Takeaways
Timeless architecture balances performance, identity and connection to place.
Buildings remain relevant when they continue to meet the needs of the people who use them.
Materials play an important role in supporting durability, comfort, and architectural expression.
COLORBOND® steel supports long-term durability through effective shading, weathering resistance, and colour performance over time.
How Well a Design Performs
Ar. Firman Setia Herwanto, Second Vice Chairman of the Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia (IAI) and a judge of the Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026, describes timelessness through the lens of relevance.
"In my view, relevance itself is constantly evolving. People's perceptions and the way users interact with architecture may change over time, but one thing that remains is performance."
— Ar. Firman Setia Herwanto, IAI, Indonesia
Performance remains one of the most reliable measures of a building's long-term relevance. Architectural preferences evolve, budgets shift, technologies advance, and user expectations change. Yet buildings continue to be judged by how effectively they serve the people who use them.
For Ar. Firman, performance is both human and technical. A building must function well, support comfort and safety, and continue responding to users' needs as society changes. Style may capture attention, but performance is what sustains relevance over time.
His example is Jakarta's Istiqlal Mosque. The mosque's façade elements were designed not as decoration, but as functional shading devices that support environmental performance. Decades after completion, they continue to contribute to comfort and climate responsiveness, demonstrating how thoughtful material selection can help architecture remain effective across generations.
As Ar. Firman explains:
"In this context, steel architecture and steel construction play a crucial role. Therefore, timelessness is not only about cultural endurance, it is also about technical, durability and long-term performance. When a building can endure over time, its relevance to function, culture, art and the environment can continue to be appreciated by future generations."
Indonesia: Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta.
Creating Memorable Architecture
For Ar. Dr. Serina Hijjas, Principal and Creative Director, Hijjas Kasturi Associates, timeless architecture is not simply about longevity. It is about creating something memorable, a building that remains distinctive and meaningful long after it is completed.
"Timeless architecture is all about creating something that's quite unique. It's something memorable, something you won't forget and something after 30 years you're still going to say that looks like a really special building."
— Ar. Dr. Serina, Hijjas Kasturi Associates, Malaysia
She explains that even celebrated buildings may evolve over time. Spaces may be updated, services modernised, and operational requirements changed. Yet what distinguishes a timeless building is that its identity remains recognisable and valuable throughout those years.
Ar. Dr. Serina also highlights the importance of quality in execution. Timeless buildings are not shaped by design intention alone. They depend on thoughtful detailing, well-crafted spaces, and careful delivery from concept through completion.
She sees this principle reflected in Sasana Kijang for Bank Negara Malaysia. Decades after completion, the building continues to be recognised for its quality and character, demonstrating how strong architectural identity can remain relevant across time.
Malaysia: Sasana Kijang, Bank Negara Malaysia.
People Come to a Place, Not Just a Building
For Ar. Dr. Truong Nguyen Hoang Long, Head of Division of Environment and Sustainable Design, UAH, timeless architecture cannot be separated from its environment, community, and context. A building remains relevant because it becomes connected to the place where it stands and the people who interact with it.
"When you enter, you don't just come to a building. You come to a place."
— Ar. Dr. Truong Nguyen Hoang Long, UAH, Vietnam
He explains that architecture endures not only because of its structure or appearance, but because it creates connections to local culture, memories, and surroundings. Buildings that respond thoughtfully to their site are less likely to feel tied to temporary trends because their value comes from a deeper relationship with place.
This philosophy is particularly relevant across ASEAN, where climate, culture, community, and local conditions vary significantly from one location to another. Successful architecture listens to those conditions rather than competing with them.
Dr. Truong points to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater as an enduring example. The project continues to be admired because it belongs so completely to its landscape, creating a lasting connection between architecture, nature, and human experience.
United States: Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright.
What Makes Architecture Timeless?
Taken together, the perspectives of the three judges reveal a consistent picture of timeless design.
Performance ensures a building continues to serve its users effectively.
Identity creates memorable architecture that remains meaningful over time.
Connection to place allows a building to belong to its environment, community, and culture.
While technologies, expectations, and architectural preferences may evolve, these qualities continue to define architecture that stays relevant across generations.
A timeless building is therefore not one that never changes. It is one that continues to perform, inspire, and belong.
How Coated Steel Supports Enduring Beauty
The judges' perspectives point to an important truth: timeless architecture depends on performance, identity, and connection to place. The right materials help architects bring those qualities to life through durability, climate responsiveness, and architectural expression.
For building envelopes, coated steel can contribute to climate responsiveness, durability, and design flexibility. Dr. Truong highlights the importance of using materials intelligently to support shading, environmental performance, and building function.
This is where COLORBOND® steel plays an important role. Developed by BlueScope, COLORBOND® steel combines trusted performance with a wide range of colours and finishes, helping architects create buildings that remain visually distinctive over time. Properly specified, installed, and maintained, COLORBOND® steel can contribute to:
Durable roofing and walling solutions.
Long-term colour performance and architectural expression.
Design flexibility through an extensive range of colours and finishes.
Support for thermal performance through THERMATECH® technology.
Easier maintenance through COLORBOND® steel ‘clean’ technology where applicable.
These qualities support one of the central ambitions of timeless architecture: creating buildings that continue to look purposeful, perform reliably, and contribute positively to their surroundings over time.
Importantly, COLORBOND® steel does not make a design timeless on its own. Timelessness comes from the combination of performance, identity, and connection to place. What COLORBOND® steel provides is a material platform that supports those ambitions through enduring beauty, trusted strength, and architectural flexibility.
2026 Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN: The Invitation
The Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026 invites architects and project owners to look beyond the moment a building is completed and consider how it will perform, inspire, and remain relevant in the decades ahead.
As architectural preferences evolve, communities grow, and environmental challenges continue to shape the built environment, the question is not whether a building can remain exactly as it was on day one. The question is whether it can continue creating value for the people and places it serves.
“Timeless design is not measured by how long a building stands. It is measured by how long it remains relevant, meaningful, and valued by the people and communities it serves.”
This is the spirit of the Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026 and the inspiration behind this year's theme:
Submissions for the Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026 are now open.
Submit your project through countries now.
Theme: Shaping Resilient Futures: Timeless Designs with Coated Steel
Categories: Residential | Commercial | Industrial | Institutional/Public/Other
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026?
The Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026 is a regional architecture award presented by NS BlueScope that recognises outstanding buildings using coated steel across Southeast Asia. Its 2026 theme is "Shaping Resilient Futures: Timeless Design with Coated Steel," and it celebrates projects across Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional/Public/Other categories.
Who can enter the Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026, and how do you submit?
The awards are open to architects and project contributor teams across the ASEAN region whose projects incorporate BlueScope steel products and solutions. Submissions are made through each participating country’s official platform. Entries for the 2026 cycle are open now, so teams are encouraged to prepare and submit their projects early.
Which countries are part of the ASEAN steel architecture awards?
The awards run across ASEAN, with dedicated national entry platforms including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, feeding into the regional ASEAN programme. The judging panel is drawn from across the region, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Australia, reflecting how the same material, coated steel, is expressed through different climates and architectural traditions.
What makes a building timeless?
A timeless building is one that stays relevant for decades — not because it never changes, but because it keeps performing well and stays connected to its place and its users. As the judges of the Steel Architectural Awards ASEAN 2026 describe it, architectural preferences evolve over time; what endures is how well the building performs and how firmly it belongs to its setting.
Why is coated steel used in long-lasting architecture?
Coated steel such as COLORBOND® steel, developed by NS BlueScope, is designed for long-term performance in demanding climates. It supports durability and architectural expression, helps maintain its intended colour and appearance over time, and is engineered for climate-responsive design across Southeast Asia's varied conditions.
