Chinatown's Shophouses
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Chinatown Stories | Updated as of June 2019 Chinatown’s Shophouses As architectural icons reflecting Singapore’s multi-cultural influences, Chinatown’s shophouses exude timeless appeal. Chinatown’s shophouses are among its top architectural gems. The earliest shophouses in Singapore were built in the 1840s along South Bridge Road and New Bridge Road. In the century to come, these iconic buildings sprang up on almost every street of Chinatown, including Keong Saik Road, Kreta Ayer Road, Mosque Street, Pagoda Street, Smith Street, Sago Street, Temple Street, Trengganu Street, Upper Chin Chew Street, Upper Hokkien Street, Upper Nankin Street and Upper Cross Street. An important part of Singapore’s colonial heritage, they served the commercial and residential needs of the waves of Chinese immigrants who made Singapore their home. A typical shophouse is a two- or three-storey terraced unit with a commercial shop on the ground floor, and living quarters on the second and third floors. Besides residential and commercial use, they have, at various times, also functioned as government administrative offices, public clinics, schools, hotels, places of worship, cinemas and theatres. Singapore’s oldest girls’ school, St Margaret’s, first operated from a shophouse in North Bridge Road in 1842. The first Anglo-Chinese School also conducted its first class in a shophouse at 70 Amoy Street in 1886 for 13 children of Chinese merchants. Archetypical design Most shophouses feature pitched roofs, internal air wells to allow light and air into dark and narrow interiors, rear courts and open stairwells. They are joined via common party walls and five-foot-ways (sheltered walkways). These sheltered verandas are known as five-foot-ways because they supposedly jut five feet out from the house. However, this measurement is not always consistent – some five-foot- ways are wider than others. Five-foot-ways were introduced by Sir Stamford Raffles through the Town Planning Committee in 1822. The architectural style reflects ancient Chinese beliefs from China’s Guangdong and Fujian provinces. For instance, they were usually built along the north-south axis to reflect the concept of universal balance. The main hall is typically located at the back of the house, facing the southern entrance. The front of the house doubled up as a courtyard for receiving guests. Shophouses also reflect Singapore’s multi-racial influences, including European classical influences such as columns, and Malay influences such as louvred shutters. Architectural style From 1840s to 1960s, the design of shophouses evolved noticeably. They can be broadly categorised into six architectural styles: Early, First Transitional, Late, Second Transitional, Art Deco and Modern. Sub-categories include the Malay, Baroque, Neo-Classical, Chinoiserie, Rococo and Shanghai styles. Page 1 of 3 Chinatown Stories | Updated as of June 2019 Early Style The first shophouses built between 1840s and 1900 were functional and minimalistic buildings, reflecting the general poverty of early immigrants. These low, two-storey buildings usually had clay-tiled roofs and one or two rectangular windows on the upper floor. Some of them had ethnic motifs such as auspicious characters, while others had no ornamentation at all. The first of these were built along South Bridge Road to support trading activities along the Singapore River. First Transitional Style With Singapore’s economic development in the early 1900s, the new shophouses became less austere. They were no longer squat buildings – each storey tended to be taller than first- generation shophouses. They also included some decorative plaster, tiles, panels and carvings, as well as windows with glass panels. Late Style Built between 1900s and 1940s, these were the most visually striking of all six styles. Also known as “Singapore Eclectic” or “Chinese Baroque”, they featured bold colours and a mix of ethnic styles, with Chinese, Malay and European influences. These included Chinese porcelain-chip friezes, decorative Peranakan tiles, Malay roof eaves and timbre fretwork, French windows, Portuguese shutters and Corinthian pilasters. Second Transitional Style From the late 1930s, due to the Great Depression and global economic downturn, there was a noticeable shift to more elegant and streamlined designs. This style bridged the Late and Art Deco styles, featuring decorative elements such as wall tiles and geometric design, but was much more restrained than the exuberant and eclectic Late style. Art Deco Style From the 1930s to 1960s, shophouses were inspired by classical motifs originating in Europe and the United States in the 1920s. Decorative tiles were replaced with geometric design, and features such as column orders, arches and keystones. Many of them also include a stepped pediment with a flag post, as well as plaques with the date of construction. Modern Style From the 1950s to 1960s, shophouse designs were more functional and austere. They were built with modern materials such as concrete, and featured thin concrete fins on their facades that doubled up as air vents, as well as steel windows and flat roofs. Redevelopment and conservation Post-independence, a series of urban renewal projects took place. The government began to resettle Chinatown residents in new housing estates. Many shophouses in Chinatown, including those along Upper Chin Chew, Upper Hokkien and Upper Nankin streets, were demolished for new developments. In 1970, the Preservation of Monuments Act was passed, and the Preservation of Monuments Board (PMB) was formed in 1971 to preserve heritage buildings and objects. Many shophouses in Chinatown were renovated and restored in the 1980s, such as the state-owned shophouses along Murray Street. Page 2 of 3 Chinatown Stories | Updated as of June 2019 In 1987, the shophouse at 9 Neil Road was restored as part of the Urban Renewal Authority’s Conservation Master Plan. Since then, countless shophouses have been restored, and in the late 1980s, gazetted as conservation buildings. Today, strict conservation rules protect the façade and foundation of these historical buildings. However, many of them have been repurposed and found new life as boutique hotels, cafes, clubs, temples and clan associations, even as they continue to evolve with the Chinatown community. References: roots.sg/learn/collections/listing/1191882 roots.sg/learn/stories/singapore-shophouses/story www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Get-Involved/Conserve-Built-Heritage/Explore-Our-Built- Heritage/The-Shophouse www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/architecture/historical/shophouses- typology/ www.postcolonialweb.org/singapore/arts/architecture/shophouse/intro.html www.shophousesingapore.com/ remembersingapore.org/2016/05/07/from-villages-to-flats-part-3/ www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2Ff1 %2Fe8%2F2a%2Ff1e82a38e14e783aaf5db818666e19ac.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2 F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F86764730292044760%2F&docid=uMxNnujXGuk GbM&tbnid=89XY7VrrjSj9- M%3A&vet=10ahUKEwju0tzX_uzhAhWRmOAKHQ9bD2sQMwg_KAMwAw..i&w=120 0&h=931&bih=602&biw=1272&q=second%20transitional%20shophouse%20style%2 0chinatown&ved=0ahUKEwju0tzX_uzhAhWRmOAKHQ9bD2sQMwg_KAMwAw&iact =mrc&uact=8 eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/a204ba18-914e-44e5-9b30-efa3b0cfbdf4 www.acsindep.moe.edu.sg/about-acs-independent/heritage/origins/ Page 3 of 3 .