SINGAPORE SHOPHOUSE

Early Shophouse Style (1840-1900)

This style is typified by a low and squat two-storey building with one or two windows on the upper floor façade. The rectangular windows and doors are timber-framed with shutters of boards, panels or louvres to aid ventilation.

First Transitional Shophouse Style

Windows and doors are usually timber-shuttered although small plates of glass in the shutters became increasingly common. There are often two windows on the upper storeys and transoms are flat-arched or semi-circular. Vents are squares or diamonds between windows.

Late Shophouse Style (1900-1940)

This is the most spectacular style, particularly in its extensive use of decorative mouldings, pilasters, carved wood-work and imported glazed tiles on the facade. The design and craftsmanship represent a successful fusion of the East and West in architecture.

Second Transitional Shophouse Style

This has a simple and streamlined design as the designers and builders began to simplify the ornamentation. Late style motifs such as ornately carved transoms and colourful ceramic tiles are often combined with Art Deco elements such as cross-braced glass window panels and simple geometric balustrade designs.

Art Deco Shophouse Style (1930s-1960s)

Hallmarks of this style are the simple geometric design on the facade. It is also typified by the streamlining of classical motifs such as capitals, arches and keystones.

Modern Shophouse Style (1950s-1960s)

This features the innovative use of very thin concrete fins and air vents on the building facade that are functional as well as decorative. The windows are well proportioned and complement the geometric design of the facade.

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SINGAPORE SHOPHOUSE

Shophouses first appeared in Singapore when the Town Plan of Sir Stamford Raffles dictated the subdivision of the land into smaller regular lots. They were narrow, long terrace houses with varied facades, creating an attractive unified streetscape.

The shophouse was built to be flexible, either to be used entirely as a home, or a home upstairs with a shop downstairs. It can be thought of as the original ‘home office’!

What are shophouses?They were built by Singapore’s pioneers and showcased the many cultural influences of the early builders who bought land from the East India Company. They were built for sale or rented to new immigrants seeking their fortunes.

From the 1840s to the 1960s, shophouses moved through many different styles, from the Early and Late Shophouse to the Art Deco and Modern Shophouse. These traced Singapore’s evolution from a trading port into a city as they moved from their glorious early days to a deteriorated congested state. With the conservation efforts of owners, many of them have been rejuvenated today.

Office Address:45 Maxwell Road, The URA Centre, Singapore 069118

Telephone No: (65)6221 6666, Fax: (65)6227 5069

Website: www.ura.gov.sg, Email: ura_email@ura.gov.sg© Urban Redevelopment Authority. All Rights Reserved

Singapore Conservation Programme

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is the national planning authority for Singapore. Its active involvement in conservation started as early as the 1970s with the rehabilita-tion of some state-owned properties for adaptive reuse. To-date, conservation status has been given to 94 conserva-tion areas involving over 7000 buildings throughout the island.

Conservation of our built heritage is an integral part of urban planning and development in Singapore. The restoration of our historic areas add variety to our streetscapes and modulate the scale of our urban fabric, creating the visual contrast and excitement within the city while protecting the important reminders and representations of our past. In addition, it adds to the distinctive character and identity of our city, giving it a sense of history and memory of place.