Conservation Area
Cheang Jim Chwan Place Conservation Area
Applicable Guidelines
Historic District Guidelines
Conservation Area
Cheang Jim Chwan Place Conservation Area
Find out more about Cheang Jim Chwan Place Conservation Area.
Important Information
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.
Owners, architects and engineers intending to carry out restoration works or development within conservation areas are required to comply with the conservation principles, planning parameters and restoration guidelines for conserved shophouse and bungalow building typologies, as well as planning parameters and envelope control guidelines for new buildings within conservation areas accordingly.
For other building types, which do not conform to the standard shophouse or bungalow typology, these will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with conservation principles. [1]
About
Located along Selegie Road and Prinsep Street, the conservation area comprises 29 units of two-storey shophouses mainly of the Early Shophouse style.
The History
Sold as a "white" site, the developer chose to restore and develop the buildings for commercial use. The seven shophouses fronting Prinsep Street were retained and restored while the severely dilapidated units at the rear were reconstructed to comply with fire safety requirements and to accommodate a new service road.
The Architecture
The open spaces are well-incorporated into the development - the original T-shaped courtyard, around which the shophouses are arranged gives the development a cloistered yet open feel. This arrangement, reminiscent of mews houses in London, were once quite prevalent in the city, but today, this is the only remaining example of such a development. The sunken plaza fronting Prinsep Street serves as a vibrant urban space for outdoor refreshment. The result is an attractive and cohesive group of buildings in a bustling urban setting.
The Legacy
The shophouses within this area were recipients of the URA Architectural Heritage Award in 2000. Gazetted on 28 October 1994 for conservation.
Guidelines and Procedures
[1] The conservation guidelines for shophouses and bungalows will generally be applied by URA in the consideration of a development application. However, if the circumstances or planning considerations relevant to a case warrant it, URA may in its discretion decide to depart from these general guidelines. The guidelines, principles and illustrations found in the guidelines are not exhaustive in covering all possible site conditions and variations in building type. Persons intending to carry out a development are advised to take this into consideration and check with URA through enquiries or development applications to confirm if their proposals can be allowed.