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Shophouses are the pre-industrial form of urban units characterised by 19th and early 20th century Southeast Asian towns, cities and commercial centres. Shophouses are one of the most significant building types in Singapore’s architectural heritage, reflecting much of the island’s history and development.
Shophouses are mainly narrow, small-scaled terrace structures that were built to accommodate both work and dwelling back in the early 19th century. Constructed between 1840 and 1960, they consist of two or three storey buildings typically built on contiguous blocks with individual unit sharing party walls.
It is common to find businesses established on the first and second levels of a shophouse while the top floors provide cosy residential living.
Shophouses incorporate many elements designed to minimise the discomfort of the tropical climate. These include;
Internal walls which allow light and natural ventilation into the interior without the full heat of the sun.
High ceilings for good air circulation.
Overlapping roof tiles that cools the heated roof and reduces radiation.
The different types of shophouses in Singapore can be found at the following places:
First Generation Shophouse
Built between 1840 to 1900. Mainly Tuscan and Doric adoptions. Ornamentation is minimal. Most of the shophouses have two windows on the upper story. 780 North Bridge Road 7 to 13 Erskine Road
Late Shophouse Style Built between 1900 to 1940. Best known for the use of spectacular ornamentation. Most of the houses have three windows on the upper story. You can get maximum ventilation when all windows are open.
You can also admire the multi-coloured ceramic tiles, and features like string courses, pendants, dentils, bouquets, festoons, plaques, name and year plates and arabesques. You can also find artistically combined Malay timber fretwork fascia boards and balustrades, glazes ceramic blocks and Chinese panel frescos. Indeed shophouses built during this time reflect the sophistication of the builders. 44 Kandahar Street 21 Bukit Pasoh Road 37 Kerbau Road
To maintain its original architecture and tradition, many of these shophouses have been restored to its traditional concept, detailing its curves and colour.
Expatriates and even the locals are becoming increasingly interested in shophouses as a form of accommodation, business and even leisure. Marrying the old and the new, conventional shophouses are transformed into funky nightclubs and social joints. Enter a new world where technology and cultural heritage come together to create a whole new energy. Visit Somerset or Mohd Sultan areas in Singapore for a sneak preview of what’s becoming a popular sight and sound of the island.
Micheline Doray, Editor Micheline is part of SD Editorial Team. Streetdirectory.com is the number 1 travel guide in Singapore and manage by Robert J Steiner.
RJS also mange FlowerAdvisor.com.sg, a Singapore Florist website specializing in both local & international flower & gifts deliveries. We have Flowers, Roses, Hampers, Gifts, Get Well Gift Baskets & many more for Singapore and International Delivery.A Journalism & Media Communication graduate from Queensland University of Technology, Micheline Doray is the former editor of Healthy Times and a freelance technology and travel writer. An expressive novelist at heart, she often pens her thoughts, ideas and experiences onto paper with the hope of publishing them at a wiser age.
S'pore 
