WHAT IS A SHOPHOUSE?

A shophouse is a structure with some specific architectural traits characteristic of Southeast Asia during the colonial era. Shophouses were built in large numbers from the 19th century through the early 20th century and although many were demolished during 20th century rebuilds, some have persisted. Today, they are considered an iconic example of Southeastern Asian architecture from this period. Similar structures can be seen in other regions of the world, including parts of Latin America and the Caribbean islands.

The shophouse has a number of features which make it distinctive. The structure is two to three or more stories in height, with a narrow face and a long length. The bottom floor has been designed to accommodate a commercial enterprise such as a shop, a restaurant, or a light manufacturing facility, while the upper floor or floors are intended for residential use and also some areas are fully commercial.

There about Est 8700 such buildings in Singapore conserve by the Urban Redevelopment Authority ( URA ) gazetted as Conservation Properties

The are all built in different period. Each period has distinct decorative façade style. The main characteristics are :

1. Low Rise . In Singapore they are usually 2 to 3 Stories in height.

2. Multi-Functional in its usage – Retail, Restaurant & Cafes, Spas & Residential etc

3. Terraced Buildings usually.

4. Narrow fronts , Deep rears .

5. The Roof are usually laid with clay tiles.

6. Five-footways started by Raffles in his town planning when he founded Singapore.

7. Internal Courtyards- This is beautiful architectural gems in a shophouse

8. The floor are usually timber but later dated shophouses style in the art deco fashion are concrete .

Source : URA Singapore

A Brief History of Conservation

The earliest steps taken to preserve some of Singapore’s important monuments and landmarks were carried out through the Preservation of Monuments Board. The first 8 buildings granted legal protection as national monuments in 1973 were:

• Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

• Armenian Church

• St Andrew’s Cathedral

• Hajjah Fatimah Mosque

• Telok Ayer Market

• Thong Chai Building

• Thian Hock Keng

• Sri Mariamman Temple

• 1989 marked a milestone in Singapore, when 10 conservation areas in the historic districts of Chinatown (Telok Ayer, Kreta Ayer, Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Pasoh), Little India, Kampong Glam, Singapore River (Boat Quay and Clarke Quay), Cairnhill and Emerald Hill, with a total of over 3200 buildings, were gazetted for conservation. These were early efforts to conserve our buildings of architectural, historical and cultural significance in Singapore.

• The 1970s and early 1980s saw the rehabilitation of State-owned shophouses by URA along Murray Street and Tudor Court to change public perception of the value of these pre-war buildings. Singapore was increasingly interested in conservation throughout the 1980s. Some key milestones include the pedestrianisation of Emerald Hill Road in1981, and the unveiling of the Conservation Master Plan for the city’s historic areas in 1986. In 1987, the pilot restoration project by URA at No. 9 Neil Road, was completed and opened for public viewing. Subsequently, restoration was carried out for the rest of the Tanjong Pagar precinct and elsewhere.

Vision and Principles

Conservation of our built heritage is an important part of urban planning and development in Singapore. Historic areas like Boat Quay, Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and Little India add variety and visual interest to our urban environment. The conservation of these buildings and areas is testament to our rich historical, architectural, and cultural heritage. Conserving and restoring our historic buildings also adds to the distinctive character and identity of our city. More importantly, they give us a sense of history and memory even as we move into the future.

Conservation Principles

Our historic buildings and districts give us a visual and physical link to Singapore’s past in our changing urban landscape. However, Conservation is much more than just preserving a facade or the external shell of a building. It is also important that we retain the inherent spirit and original ambience of these historic buildings as far as possible. This requires an appreciation and understanding of the architectural structure of the buildings, good management, and practice in conserving buildings.

The “3R” Principle: Maximum Retention, Sensitive Restoration and Careful Repair

Buildings earmarked for conservation need to follow our conservation principles. Owners, architects, engineers, and contractors should try to apply the “3Rs” in their conservation projects, which help guide them towards quality restoration. These principles apply no matter how small or how large the heritage building is.

The original structure and architectural elements of historic buildings should be retained and restored as far as possible, without reconstructing the entire building. Parts of the building should only be replaced when it is absolutely necessary. Before any conservation work begins, thorough research and documentation should be carried out on the conservation building to ensure that quality restoration work is carried out through careful and accurate repair. This process helps ensure that conservation works adhere to the 3R principle.

For example, the Former Asia Insurance Building (now The Ascott Raffles Place), at Finlayson Green, was awarded the Architectural Heritage Award in 2009 for its quality restoration which carefully followed the ‘3R’ principles.

Before the restoration project began, extensive research was carried out on the original design of the skyscraper, so that the renovation and extension works would be compatible in spirit and in design. We referred to archival drawings and pictorial records, carried out site investigations, and did a detailed site examination to understand the condition of the original travertine façade.

With careful repair and consolidation, the original creamy travertine and Nero Portaro marble cladding was restored to its original sheen. The original mild-steel windows were also retained and reglazed with high-performance glass for greater sound insulation for the hotel rooms, without compromising the slender appearance of the window frames. Internally, a unique brass mail-chute from the 1950s was retained for today’s use.

Following the 3R principle, this old office building has been reinvented and upgraded to meet modern needs as a hotel for the Ascott group, while maintaining its rich heritage value.

You can learn more about the 3R principle in the book “Objectives, Principles and Standards for Preservation and Conservation”.

You can also find out more about the structural design philosophy to be adopted for conservation buildings in the leaflet on “Preferred Design Approach”.

The Shophouse

Shophouses—a historical source of delight and nostalgia—are a prevalent building type in Singapore’s architectural and built heritage. They are also commonly found throughout the historic cities of South East Asia. They are narrow, small terraced houses, with a sheltered ‘five foot’ pedestrian way at the front. These buildings can be used for both business and living. Constructed between the 1840s and the 1960s, these shophouses formed the majority of the pre-WW2 urban fabric of the old city centre as well as several other parts of Singapore. These buildings are generally two- to three- storeys high, built in contiguous blocks with common party walls. Shophouses therefore form the bulk of our gazetted conservation buildings. The shophouses still around today have been carefully restored and conserved according to our conservation guidelines.

The NUS ‘Baba House’: Richness of Straits-Chinese Architecture Restored

Once the ancestral home of a Straits-Chinese family, the NUS ‘Baba House’ located at No. 157 Neil Road, is an example of an architectural beauty that has been carefully restored by the URA to illustrate conservation best practices. . It is one of the last few untouched Straits-Chinese Houses in Singapore.

Not only has its façade been revived with original ornamental details, the restoration also showcases the 1920s domestic culture of the Straits Chinese community in Singapore. Welcoming visitors to the Baba House are the wooden half doors or pintu pagar, a typical cross-cultural feature that used to be common in Singapore’s historic residences.

The main hall features elaborate and intricately carved structures of floor to ceiling screens and partitions.

The Baba House is representative of the visual interest that a well restored shophouse can provide to our urban landscape, and at the same time, remind us how these shophouses are representative of Singapore’s unique cultures and aesthetic tastes.

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