Living Pretty

Demand for shophouses has risen in recent years. Over 5,000 are preserved by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Last year, 292 were sold for $1.13 billion. The Straits Times looks at the coveted Singapore shophouse and its architectural origins.

THE SINGAPORE SHOPHOUSE

• Constructed between 1840 and 1960
• Simple buildings usually two to three storeys high, built in continuous blocks with common party walls
• In the past, business was conducted on the first floor, and the top floors were for residential use
• Originated from southern China, the two coastal provinces of Guangdong and Fujian where most of Singapore’s Chinese immigrants came from
• In 1822, Sir Stamford Raffles provided the shophouse’s basic concept. He determined that every house should be the same size and have a verandah to serve as a continuous passage on both sides of the street. This covered walkway become known as the five-foot-way
• Last year, two in three units were sold for $1.7 million to $5.5 million each, and larger ones between $10 million to $12.5 million

1. Early style (1840-1900s)

2. First Transitional style (early 1900s)

3. Late style (1900-1940)

4. Second Transitional style (late 1930s)

5. Art Deco style (1930s-1960s)

Modern style (1950s-1960s)