Conservation Area
Tiong Bahru Conservation Area
Applicable Guidelines
Secondary Settlement Guidelines
Conservation Area
Tiong Bahru Conservation Area
Find out more about Tiong Bahru 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
Tiong Bahru, meaning "New Cemetery" in both Hokkien and Malay, stands as Singapore's first comprehensively planned Modern housing estate and the first major example of a cemetery being exhumed and reused for housing. Nine decades on, the estate has matured into a multi-generational neighbourhood where its instantly recognisable silhouettes and communal spaces anchor a deep sense of community and national identity, making it a timeless icon in Singapore's ever-shifting landscape.
The History
Tiong Bahru was built by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), which pioneered distinct urban forms inspired by the European Streamline Moderne movement.
The Architecture
The estate is characterised by the Streamline Moderne style, with Art Deco motifs that set it apart from earlier housing developments in Singapore. It retains the iconic five-foot ways and internal air-wells of the traditional shophouse typology, blending European modernist influences with familiar local architectural elements to create a distinctive and cohesive urban form.
The Legacy
As Singapore's first comprehensively planned Modern housing estate, Tiong Bahru holds an important place in the nation's architectural and social history. Its instantly recognisable streetscapes and communal spaces have endured across generations, fostering a strong sense of community and belonging that continues to define the neighbourhood today.
Guidelines and Procedures
Gallery
Resources
[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.