Historic buildings provide a valuable link to Singapore’s heritage and conserving them is an important part of Singapore urban planning. So far, over 7,000 buildings have been gazetted for conservation. They are located mainly in the city centre and around its fringes, and comprise largely shophouses and bungalows.
CONSERVATION AREAS AND GUIDELINES
The majority of conservation areas in Singapore fall into four distinct categories, and the conservation guidelines vary for each of these categories.
See Key Conservation Area Map (PDF, 1.75 MB). The four main categories are as follows:
Historic Districts
The Historic Districts, which include Boat Quay, Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India, are among the city’s oldest areas. Most of the buildings in these areas are still intact, and the entire building has to be retained and restored.
Residential Historic Districts
The Residential Historic Districts at Blair Plain, Cairnhill and Emerald Hill are residential areas which developed close to the city centre. A new rear extension lower than the main roof can be built for greater flexibility in adapting the building for modern living.
Secondary Settlements
The Secondary Settlements such as Geylang and Joo Chiat are areas which developed later when people started to move out of the crowded city to live at the fringe. These are typically areas where there are already many new developments so emphasis is placed on retention of the streetscape. In these areas, a new rear extension up to the maximum height allowed for the area can be built.
Bungalows
The bungalows are detached buildings which come in a variety of architectural styles and are predominantly for residential use. New extensions can be built at the side and rear of the bungalow. Large sites can be subdivided for additional new developments. For a site where flat or condominium housing development can be built, the bungalow can be used for residential purpose or as a clubhouse to serve the development.
FACILITATING RESTORATION EFFORTS
The Government provides various forms of assistance to encourage private owners to restore their buildings. They include:
Technical guidelines and standards are also drawn up to guide owners and professionals in restoring their buildings. Publications on conservation are produced to assist private owners to better understand the conservation principles and guidelines.
In addition, the government builds infrastructure and utilities to improve the environment of the conservation areas. Examples of these include pedestrian malls at Boat Quay to allow spillover of activities from the conserved buildings to liven up the areas.