THE rich heritage of Katong and Joo Chiat district will get more protection from the wrecking ball with a further 228 buildings earmarked for conservation status.
GRAND OLD DAME: The former Grand Hotel along Still Road South was built by an Indian cattle merchant in the 1900s. -- ST FILE PHOTO The buildings include landmarks such as St Hilda's Church, the Bethesda (Katong) Church and the former Grand Hotel in Still Road South.
Three bungalows - in Marine Parade Road, Chapel Road and Joo Chiat Road - have also been selected.
PRESERVATION: These houses along Marine Parade Road are among the buildings selected for conservation in the area. -- ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANGThe buildings were selected to serve as markers of the area's heritage.
St Hilda's Church, for example, was built in 1949 and is designed in a simple English parish church style while the former Grand Hotel building was built in 1917 in the ornamented Victorian style with a slight Indian influence.
Related Video Link - http://tinyurl.com/2sb33zNo demolition for these old buildings
The charming and diverse heritage of Katong and Joo Chiat is the reason why the Urban Redevelopment Authority has selected another 228 buildings there to be saved from the wrecker's ball.
These buildings include well-known landmarks like St Hilda's Church as well as bungalows, terrace houses and shop houses in the area.
This plan was revealed by National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan on Monday at URA's Architectural Heritage Awards ceremony.
WELL-KNOWN LANDMARK: St Hilda's Church in Ceylon Road was built in 1949 in s simple English parish church style. -- ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANGThere are already about 700 buildings under conservation orders in the East Coast area, traditional home of Singapore's Eurasian and Peranakan communities and a haven for food-lovers.
The plan was announced by National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan yesterday at the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Architectural Heritage Awards ceremony.
The URA has told the building owners about the conservation plan. Its final decision will be made after feedback.
Conservation orders mean owners cannot demolish the building or make major alterations to structures or facades.
But the URA noted that most can be redeveloped to their full economic potential even if conserved.
One owner, Ms Lyn Lee, 34, wants the certainty a conservation order would bring. Ms Lee, who owns the Awfully Chocolate cakeshop chain, lives in a pre-war, three-storey shophouse in Tembeling Road, one of a row of 10 houses.
She and her husband bought the ageing freehold property for $880,000 six years ago and have spent about $500,000 renovating it into a home for themselves and their three children. They do not intend to move.
'It's very important that someday, somebody won't come and mow down three houses and build a pink-tiled monstrosity,' she said.
Some of her neighbours are considering upgrading the neighbourhood if it is eventually conserved.
The 228 buildings proposed for conservation were chosen from about 1,000 buildings in the area that are more than 30 years old. More than 6,500 buildings have been conserved in Singapore.
The announcement was bittersweet for interest group Historic Architecture Rescue Plan, which has been lobbying the Government to conserve various properties in the district.
One - a 95-year-old Amber Road bungalow - could only be partly conserved. Earlier this year, its developer agreed to build a hybrid apartment block incorporating some elements of the old building, but it plans to tear down its much vaunted crescent-shaped section.
Mr Mah told the ceremony guests that Singapore had to strike a constant balance between redevelopment and conservation.
Six projects were singled out in the URA awards yesterday for sensitive or innovative restoration work, including the National Museum and Chek Jawa Visitor Centre in Pulau Ubin.
Mr Mah also announced the URA would be enhancing various districts next year. These include a 4.9km waterfront promenade from Punggol Point to Sungei Serangoon and a coastal promenade in Woodlands.
It will also improve roadside infrastructure in Siglap and Upper Serangoon Road.
2007 Architectural Heritage Award winners
# The National Museum: Restored to its former glory, with a new rear extension. Part of the original tiled roof was cut away for a glass connector, offering an unhindered view of its historic dome.
# Chek Jawa Visitor Centre: Believed to be the only remaining authentic Tudor- style house with a fireplace here, it was sensitively restored.
# National University of Singapore Law School: Home to various institutions for more than 80 years, it had to be adapted to meet the functions of the NUS law faculty.
# Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa: The former military barracks were converted into an eco-sanctuary with a tropical feel.
# 13 Martaban Road: This transitional style terrace house has been restored into a modern home filled with natural light and ventilation.
# 62 Niven Road: This squat shophouse has had a four- storey extension built at the rear, where full-length glass windows and a steel-mesh sunscreen add a modern function.
URA did the right thing to preserve historical buildings in Katong, Joo Chiat
ReplyDeleteI REFER to the article, '228 houses, buildings in Katong, Joo Chiat picked for conservation' (ST, Oct 1), on the recent move by the URA to preserve historical buildings in these areas.
Preserving our cultural heritage is imperative in the changing landscapes of Singapore, especially in our multi-racial society, and the URA proposal is to be applauded.
As a young Peranakan, I was thrilled to read about the URA's proposal. It would allow me and those in my generation to continue enjoying the area that has been around since the 1920s, and to visit places where our fathers and forefathers were born and raised.
The whole suburb exudes nostalgia and charm, not to mention the wonderful fragrance of traditional Peranakan food. Peranakan culture would never be the same in a too modern Katong and Joo Chiat.
Demolishing the heritage houses would also defeat the purpose of the Singapore Tourism Board's 'Uniquely Singapore: Katong/Joo Chiat Walking Guide'.
Preservation of the buildings also serves to promote the bubbling arts culture in Singapore. It is important that museums and shops housing Peranakan artworks, clothes and paraphernalia are established in architecturally accurate buildings of that era reflecting their distinctive lifestyles. This allows for an authentic part of history to be retained and will definitely benefit the public in the future.
In today's cosmopolitan age, it is crucial for the younger generation to keep in mind the practices of other communities so as to educate them on the importance of harmonious living.
Conservation of our cultural heritage shapes our Singaporean identity and serves as a future memory bank for the generations to come - thus, ensuring that this precious piece of Singapore's cultural heritage does not disappear, but instead will and forever remain carved into our rich history.
Tracy Phua Jin Xia (Ms)