Conserved Building

296 Balestier Road

Applicable Guidelines

Secondary Settlement Guidelines

Conservation Area

Balestier Conservation Area

Historic address: 296 Balestier Road

About

This row of shophouses, designed by the firm of Westerhout & Oman, was built in 1926 by Madam Sim Cheng Neo, a female developer who also owned many other properties in the area with similar decorative elements. The block is often referred to as the "Sim Kwong Ho" building, after the name inscribed on its front.

The Building

The shophouses exemplify the "Chinese Baroque" or "Singapore Eclectic" style, a favoured style of wealthy developers in the early 1920s. They bear characteristic pastel-shaded walls with European glazed floral tiles, moulded capitals or pilasters, and ornate moulded floral wreaths and festoons over the windows. No. 312 is a fine example of how building corners are given special architectural treatment in response to the geometry of the road, serving as a landmark for the area.

Guidelines and Procedures

All proposed works will need to comply with the Conservation Guidelines and the Specific Restoration Guidelines (SRG). Conservation Permission is required before all additions & alteration works and operations of new use can begin.

Residential Fronts are characterised by timber casement windows flanking a double-leafed timber door. All buildings with residential front which is existing and/or identified in the 'Specific Restoration Guidelines', regardless of land use zoning, shall be retained and restored.

Explore Street View

The building can be found at this street.