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Tracing the Legacy of Shophouses in Singapore: A Historical Overview

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Singapore’s signature buildings, the world-famous Shophouses, were for the most part based on the architectural design of the Chinese courtyard house. These buildings have an interesting history that dates all the way back to 19th Century: they were first introduced during Singapore’s colonial era by Sir Stamford Raffles and his advisor, the Irish architect and surveyor, George Drumgoolde Coleman. 

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This very first version of shophouses built in 1840-1870s were minimally decorated and had fairly perfunctory structure - in contrast to the Shophouses built in the later years that stands out because they are colourful and vibrant. The earliest Shophouses’ roofs were made by locally produced clay tiles and their windows consisted of shutters. The design was characterized by symmetry and the space area of the floor plan was relatively narrow - hinting at the Chinese taxing system in which buildings were taxed according to their width. The early Shophouses usually consist of two levels, the upper floor projected over the covered walkway beneath, and there was minimal ornamentation to the facade.

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Originally, shophouses’ first floor level was used as a business area, for small business owners such as merchants, and the upper level used to house the family owning the shop. Of course, as time went by these shophouses developed and evolved beyond its original perfunctory approach. Starting from 1860-1870s, the Shophouses’ older Chinese residents began building more substantial homes for themselves, introducing more ornate decorative elements such as granite lintels and thresholds, latticework screens and elaborately carved door and window panels, chien nien mosaic reliefs and painted plaques, green-glazed airbricks, and ceramic bamboo-style window mullions. 

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As the economy flourishes, the Shophouses become even more ornate and a show of wealth, and in some cases, developed purely for residential use (for example the beautiful townhouse located along Club Street and Ann Siang Hill). In addition to the Chinese-style townhouses, other styles such as Baroque style of Piranesian proportion were introduced by George d’Almeida and Wan Mohamad Kassim, adding to the vibrant architectural landscape of Singapore’s Shophouses.

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Rapid urbanisation during the mid 20th Century that included the construction of huge skyscrapers, led to the efforts of preserving and honouring their cultural significance and architectural uniqueness. In this new landscape of newness, Shophouses became a precious relic of the past, a reminder of Singapore’s interesting history.

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Preserving Shared History

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The added value of historical and cultural significance that Singaporean Shophouses acquired with the passing of time led to the introduction of conservation policies. The URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) decided to preserve areas in which there was an abundance of shophouses: Chinatown, Bukit Pasoh, Little India, Kampong Glam etc. This strategic move was successful in many regards; one of these being the increase of tourism. Another way this decision was proven right is the fact that Shophouses have significantly increased their value and are a part of the reason why Singapore economy is zestful and thriving.

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Regulations

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Preserving a historic building, exciting and meaningful as it is, comes with some challenges. One of them is following the regulations: the need to preserve the aesthetic of the facades and the guidelines for maintaining a certain amount of uniformity. 

The government body responsible for creating the guidelines as well as ensuring the historical buildings are preserved, is Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). URA governs the extent of preservation needed and remodeling allowed for each conservation areas, making sure the key elements are respected. 

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In general, aside from being segregated into conservation areas, URA also segregates the conserved shophouses into three categories:

Category 1 : Stringent Preservation 

Interior and exterior must be preserved to maintain the building’s original character.

Category 2 : Focus on Exterior Conservation

The exterior facade must remain intact to protect the streetscape’s heritage.

Category 3 : Facade Retention with Flexibility

Focus on preserving the front facade while granting significant freedom for interior changes

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Aside from abiding by URA’s guideline (which can be found here), we must also ensure that the shophouse renovation abides by the latest fire safety regulation here. This can be done by engaging a fire safety engineer who is well versed in ensuring the hosereel, fire fighting equipment (fire extinguishers) and proper exit and fire compartment is in place.

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To be continued in Part 2 - Coming Soon!