Full of rich heritage, Temasek Shophouse was built in 1928 as part of Singapore’s post-war development of the city. The gazetted building was unoccupied for nine years and in a state of disrepair. The building has now been carefully restored, since work started in May 2017.
The shophouse has been awarded the 2019 URA Architectural Heritage Award on 21 October 2019, which recognises exemplary restoration of gazetted heritage buildings.
Surbana Jurong, the lead multidisciplinary consultant for the project, was involved in the general space planning and architectural design, with Asylum coordinating the bulk of the interior design.
The challenge was to restore the original charisma of the shophouse, which had two distinct architectural languages—Neo-Classical and Edwardian—on the building façades. The interior was carefully designed to reflect a spirit of optimism while retaining the original architectural style of the building.Refurbishment took over 18 months to carefully preserve the unique appearances and the long history of the shophouse. Selecting sustainable materials for the restoration was essential, including utilising natural light and LED light fixtures. For their eco-friendly efforts, the building obtained the BCA Green Mark GoldPlus for existing buildings.The newly restored Temasek Shophouse is a social impact hub that seeks to encourage, enhance and elevate initiatives and activities that contribute towards the common good. It features an event space; café; rooftop garden; co-working spaces; meeting rooms; and offices for the staff from Temasek Trust, Temasek Foundation and Stewardship Asia Centre. – Construction + Online
