Prewar Terrace Houses 2.5 to 3 storeys around Everton Road area, Singapore

Examples of Prewar Terrace Houses ( Shophouses ) - Some possibly had 2.5 storeys ie attic like floor with smaller windows for ventilation and light ; compared with "full" floor with french windows- unfortunately I have not had a chance to visit the interiors to view the configuration.

Prewar Terrace Houses (shophouse) in Blair Road

Prewar Terraced houses for residential use in Blair Road. These houses were considered as linear linked houses based on British terraced houses designs - the living spaces in the front and the top floor of the house, with the kitchen and toilets at the back. Prewar versions had inner courtyards or airwells, front yards and rear yards or both. Later developements had the front yard lengthened for a parked vehicle, otherwise it was a small garden.

As many of these houses have been adapted for commercial usage, they were loosely termed Prewar shophouses in certain areas. Prewar shophouses had the ground floor for business activities whereas the upper floors were residential and/or offices; should there be three floors.

1960's Red Light / Concubine District - Prewar Shophouses Keong Saik Road, Singapore

Keong Saik Road was officially named after a prominent chinese in Singapore, Tan Keong Saik in 1926. Educated in an English school in Penang, Keong Saik was once a Municipal Commissioner during British Malaya in Singapore and was the director of both the Tanjong Pagar Dock Ltd and the Straits Steamship Co Ltd. He was also active in the Chinese Community, being a member of the Chinese Advisory Board, with a strong interest in educating Chinese Women.

Irony was, Keong Saik road was famous for its brothels in the 1960's and the shophouses were also reputed to house mistresses/concubines for rich merchants

Pictures above showing the restored shophouses along the road, with pastel colours painted facades.

Prewar Shophouse, Chinatown Singapore

First Floor Prewar Shophouse fronts located along Kreta Ayer Road ( Water Cart Road). A mix of the old and new ( more new) use of the Prewar shophouses in China Town Singapore

Heritage Prewar Shophouse

A 2 floor & 3 floor prewar shophouse on the junction of Craig Road & Tanjong Pagar Road

More shophouses along Tanjong Pagar Road

French Windows of a Prewar shophouse along Craig Road

A row of 3 prewar shophouse with front courtyards along Craig Road

Heritage Prewar Shophouse

Uniquely constructed 1st floors of prewar houses along Sam Leong Road. Unfortunately, the signages have blocked part of the beauty of the buildings

Beautifully decorated & painted facades ( 1st floors) of prewar shophouses along Sam Leong Road. Note the balconys - great to have a cuppa coffee lounging on the balcony and watching the world passing by below...

Another set of nice looking 1st floors!

Heritage Prewar Shophouse

A "Ying & Yang - Black & White" painted entrance into a Colonial building on Ann Siang Hill

"Pintu Pagar" - half door and tiles on the outside of a Prewar Shop house on Ann Siang Hill

A stretch of Prewar shop/"office" houses along Amoy Street - a mix of three and two floors houses

A colourful painted shophouse along Amoy Street

A prewar shophouse nestling in modern Central Business District of Singapore

Heritage Prewar House

A two & a half(?) storey prewar heritage house along Stanley Street. Notice the side door on the right to access the higher floors

The interior of a renovated prewar shophouse. Noticed that they have included the access staircase to the upper floors in the building instead of from the side door outside.

A three floors shop house along Stanley Street. There is a lonely tiger statue ( lion?) painted in gold placed on top of the first floor window.

Another three storey shophouse along Stanley Street

Fullerton Building - Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

The Fullerton Singapore, as chronicled in a picture, along with others, placed in the underpass of Fullerton. It has been reported that this same tunnel has been in used by the Post Office to sent surface mails to waiting ships, from the pier.

A view of the General Post Office in the 1960's - the counter table was reputed to be the longest One Piece table in Asia during that time.

The inscription of the architect & contractor of Fullerton Building

Another view of the inscription

The Fullerton Building was named after Robert Fullerton, first Governor of the Straits Settlement from 1826-1829. The building was designed by Major P H Keys of Keys & Dowdeswell, a Shanghai firm of architects ( Dowdeswell was the chief assistant architect to Keys).

Construction of the building began in February 1924 and was completed in June 1928. The successful tenders and contractors for the project was Perry & Co. Overseas Ltd London.

I have decided to post the picture of the stone on the building's pillar, which was inscribed with the building's architect, contractor & the date of completion because funnily enough, I have passed by the same location so many times, but did not noticed it until now - an interesting observation whilst waiting for the bus...

Heritage Prewar Shophouses

2 Story Prewar Shophouse for commercial use at Emarald Hill

2 Story Prewar Shophouse for commercial use at Emarald Hill

2 Story Prewar Shophouse for commercial use at Emarald Hill

2 Story Prewar Shophouse for commercial use at Emarald Hill

2 Story Prewar Shophouse for commercial use at Emarald Hill

Heritage Prewar Shophouses

Prewar Shophouse at Syed Alwi Road with beautiful facade

Another view of Prewar Shophouses at Syed Alwi Road

Heritage Prewar Shophouses

Prewar Shophouse along Armenian Street

Ground Floor of Prewar Shophouse

Ground Floor of another Prewar Shophouse

Prewar Shophouses

Prewar shop houses were built during British Malaya ie 19th to early 20th century, according to colonial guidelines that differentiate them from other shop houses in South East Asia. Constructed between 1800’s to 1940’s, they were usually two to three story high, sharing a common wall ( party walls) and have commercial activities conducted on the ground floor with upper floors for residential usage. Some were purely for residence.

The colonial guidelines (laid down by Raffles Ordinances 1822) stipulated that they were to be built with stone and with a tiled roof ( to reduce chances of fire), to be located on a grid with the road system ( right angles to the road) and to be built with a covered walkway along the road frontage, measuring 5 foot from road to the front of the house ( 5 foot way ). In addition to the guidelines, shop houses were constructed to ease the discomfort of the tropical climate. They had courtyards and/or air wells to provide natural ventilation and to admit natural daylight, timber planked floors to allow air to flow through the gaps as well as high ceilings. As the property was taxed according to the width of the house frontage, the shop fronts were narrow, but the length of the house would stretch to more than 100 ft back.

During the second decade of the 20th Century, Malaya was booming from the exports of rubber and tin. As such, the facades of shop houses tended to be more elaborate and more ornamental , mixed with Chinese, Malay and European classical details – an eclectic mix of British colonial, ethnic Chinese and indigenous Malay influence that was and is unique to Malaya and the Straits Settlements shop houses.