Conserved Building
30 North Canal Road
Applicable Guidelines
Secondary Settlement Guidelines
Conservation Area
Upper Circular Road Conservation Area
Historic address: 30 North Canal Road
The History
30 and 31 North Canal Road, built in the 1950s, are two 4-storey buildings located in the current Upper Circular Conservation Area. They are representative of a significant phase of development in Singapore when the Modern architectural style was brought to Singapore after starting out in the West. In the hands of local clients, designers and craftsmen, the foreign ideas were adapted to suit local cultural and climatic needs.
The Area has a unique urban identity and historically is well known for housing businesses and trading offices associated with the flourishing maritime commerce at Singapore River.
The Building
The original reinforced concrete Modern style building has mild-steel frame glass windows, aluminium facade screens, pre-cast vents and mosaic tiles which were widely used then. Horizontal fins and canopies incorporated to address tropical inclement weather, showcases concrete work pushed to be as thin as possible – a result of cost savings as well as the aesthetic trend towards ‘lightness’ of appearance.
In terms of façade composition, the seemingly simple No 30 and 31 topped with a flag post, has an orthogonal grid which accentuates the familiar ‘graph paper-like’ design discernable in the adjoining conserved Modern style buildings along North Canal Road.
The Legacy
The new owner, who bought the property in June 2022, has voluntarily conserved the two buildings after site findings confirm that the original building structure, columns, floors and façade wall have been kept largely intact despite A&A works carried out in the 1980s. Restoration and rear extension works are ongoing. When completed, the two buildings will enhance the streetscape and strengthen the early Modern architectural aesthetics which characterise the Upper Circular Conservation 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.