Conserved Building
705 Serangoon Road
Applicable Guidelines
Other Building Guidelines
Conservation Area
Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital Conservation Area
Historic address: 705 Serangoon Road
Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital Ward 3
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About
The three single-storey buildings are one of the earliest blocks built in the 1850s by John Turnbull Thomson. The three blocks surround a pleasant green lawn, forming a quadrangle, with the 1950s Modern Chinese pavilion as a focus.
The History
J.T. Thomson was the Government surveyor for Singapore, who is best remembered by the Thomson Road which runs through central Singapore. Thomson was also the architect for the Horsburgh lighthouse on Pedra Branca, the Hajjah Fatimah Mosque, the spire of St Andrew's Cathedral and Thomson Bridge, the first bridge across the Kallang River.
The Building
Each building is made of brick and plaster columns and walls. The appearance is one of a long squat building, with a large tiled roof supported by robust-looking Doric columns on the two long elevations. At the front is a colonnaded perimeter corridor which is anchored at both ends by twin columns. The tiled pitch roofs and Doric columns were typical of the early British architecture during the 19th century that was developed in British India through the merging of European styles and local Indian building traditions. This building style was later imported into Malaya and Singapore.
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.
Any proposed additions and alterations to this conserved building are subject to evaluation. Please submit your proposal for URA's review.
Explore Street View
The building can be found at this street.
Awards
URA Architectural Heritage Awards (Special Mention)
2022