5 Jiak Kim Street

About

Named after Dr J. Murray Robertson, a prominent Municipal Councillor, Robertson Quay is the largest and most upstream of the three main historical quays on the Singapore River, the other 2 quays being Boat Quay and Clarke Quay.

The History

In the 1890s, the land up-stream of today’s Clarke Quay was still relatively undeveloped. This area was originally swampy tidal land. As a result of rapid growth in trade and population of the settlement of Singapore, development spread upstream along the Singapore River.

The tidal swamps was reclaimed in the 19th century to cater to demand for the warehousing of goods that came through Singapore. By the beginning of the 20th century, buildings catering to our entrepot trade were built at Robertson Quay, Havelock Road and as far up stream as Jiak Kim Street. By early 1930s, these areas were fully developed with warehouses – commonly known as ‘godowns’, while the river itself was filled with bumboats that brought goods in and out of Singapore via the river and the harbour.

These places and streets bear names of prominent figures who played key roles in the social, economic and political life of the colony, or were key figures of the then British Empire. Robertson Quay is named after Dr. J Murray Robertson, a prominent Municipal Councillor. Havelock Road is named after Major-General Sir Henry Havelock (who distinguished himself in the suppression of the India Rebellion of 1857) while Jiak Kim Street is named after Tan Jiak Kim, the grandson of Tan Kim Seng (the adjacent main road is named after him). Tan Jiak Kim was a Municipal Commissioner and member of the Legislative Councillor. Tan Kim Seng was a well-known philanthropist who donated generously to the building and maintenance of the first school in Singapore, the Chinese Free School or Chui Eng Institution (the gateway which is conserved at Amoy Street). However, he is best known for his donation in 1857 towards building Singapore’s first public waterworks to ensure a better supply of water to the town. For this, Kim Seng is commemorated by a cast-iron fountain (now a National Monument) that can be seen today at the Esplanade.

The Building

These three single storey buildings were built in 1919. Each building is about 15m wide by 34m deep.

Unlike the other warehouses, they have galvanised iron sheet roofs and jackroofs supported by timber trusses. To reduce the load to be carried by the timber trusses spanning 15m of the width of the building, an intermediate row of internal reinforced concrete columns is added at mid-span for further support. This composite roof structure and use of metal sheet roofing reveals the influence of the Industrial Revolution in Europe that then lead to a change in building technology and technique around the world, including Singapore, that was located at a meeting point of the East and the West.

Of the 3 buildings, number 17 has a unique curved roof pediment compared to the usual triangular pediment of the other buildings. This profile for the pediment could either be related to an attempt to create a more ‘European’ appearance, or possibly an influence o f Chinese ‘feng-shui’ belief where roof profiles are derived from the ‘Five-Elements’ of the Chinese world view. This profile resembles that of the ‘Water-element’. The choice of which of the Five-elements to use as a gable profile is often dictated by the characteristics of the site, its builder and the intended occupant.

Other significant architectural features of these buildings are the solid timber doors and windows that are constructed using the herring-bone pattern.

The Legacy

These former industrial buildings illustrate the role and importance of trade in the development of our city. Their construction styles and techniques are evidence of how building in Singapore has been influenced by cultures and change from around the world. Their continued presence, together with the other buildings already conserved at Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Riverside Village, provides a window into the style and taste of the past . Integrated into newer developments, they provide a historic layer to an ever evolving Singapore River. As part of the whole river, they form an important link to our history and showcase how Singapore has been built up into a port of international standing over a span of 2 centuries.

Gazetted for conservation on 6 June 2014.

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.

• Urban Design Guidelines applicable to the Singapore River Planning Area

• Apply for Specific Restoration Guidelines (SRG) ↗ (opens in new tab)

• Submission Process for Works

Gallery

Explore Street View

The building can be found at this street.

Awards

URA Architectural Heritage Awards (Award for Conservation)
2024

Resources