Conservation: continuity in space and time

Mr Bobby Chin, Chairman of URA

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

Introduction

It is my pleasure to be here at the Malay Heritage Centre for the 11th URA Architectural Heritage Awards ceremony.

2 I often hear people lament that Singapore is a nation with little built heritage. But as this building shows, Singapore is certainly more than just gleaming shopping malls and modern skyscrapers.
Look at the conservation shophouses around us, and you will agree that we have in fact much built heritage to be proud of.

Conservation and a vibrant global city called home

3 In his National Day Rally speech, PM Lee spoke about the development of Marina Bay, the rejuvenation of Orchard Road, and the upgrading of HDB heartlands. These plans are moving along even as we speak. The tender for the Orchard Turn site is launched today. The Business and Financial Centre has been successfully awarded. The tender for the Integrated Resorts is being finalised. Many people are thrilled. But I know that some also view these developments with mixed feelings. Inevitably, urban development and redevelopment mean change, with new buildings replacing the old and familiar.

4 But in making a vibrant global city called home, we cannot focus only on the new. ‘Home’ is a place in which we find the familiar.
Familiar places and buildings give us a sense of continuity with the past, and help to develop an emotional attachment to our land. In re-making Singapore, we need to retain a stock of buildings that create a special sense of identity and hold our individual and collective memories. Like precious family heirlooms that are passed from generation to generation, they can create an enduring bond between generations. Such buildings lend soul to our city and make it different from all the others. Conservation must be integral to urban planning in Singapore.

A continuous journey: from pre-war to post-war

5 The 6,500 conservation buildings that we have today did not come about overnight. In 1989, as part of the Conservation Master Plan, we gazetted the first 10 conservation areas in Singapore, including the Historic Districts of Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam, as well as Boat Quay and Clarke Quay.

6 Next, we facilitated the restoration and adaptive re-use of significant monuments, such as Raffles Hotel, the former Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (now Chijmes), and Fullerton Building. Some of these projects went on to win international accolades.

7 Conservation took on a new dimension when we fused the old and the new at China Square, integrating modern office blocks with conserved shophouses. Later, as part of the Master Plan 2003, we added areas rich in local character and identity such as Tiong Bahru, Mount Sophia and Balestier to the conservation list.

8 These conservation efforts were focused mainly on protecting significant colonial and pre-war buildings. But as our city evolves, the focus of our conservation efforts too must change. We need to ensure a continuity in our built heritage that reflects our city’s evolution.

9 Last year, I mentioned the need to consider architectural works of the post-war era for conservation. Despite their simple forms, these buildings are important for their social and historical significance. They are part of the memories of the post-war generation. They document the evolution of building styles in Singapore, and are fine examples of the work of our pioneering local architects. Most importantly, they capture the mood and aspirations of a young Singapore nation. Through their conservation, we hope to safeguard symbols of Singapore’s modernizing and industrializing era.

Conservation of postwar buildings

10 I am pleased to announce that some of these post-war buildings have been approved for conservation.

11 One of these buildings is the Church of the Blessed Sacrament along Queensway, which was built in 1963. With its huge sloping roofs that nearly touch the ground, it is fondly dubbed by many as the ‘origami church’.

12 Another post-war building approved for conservation is the former Metropole Cinema, otherwise known as Jing Hwa Cinema. Together with the Majestic and the Oriental, Jing Hwa Cinema, built in 1958, was one of Chinatown’s three famous cinemas. Some of you may recall traveling from outlying areas to catch your favourite Chinese movies there. Its successful new life as Fairfield Methodist Church today shows that modern-style buildings can be retained and modified for new use.

13 The next building has great significance for those of us who grew up during Singapore’s industrializing era – the former Jurong Town Hall. During the 1960s, the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) was formed to oversee Singapore’s early industrialisation programme. A town hall for Jurong was built to house the JTC headquarters. Designed to capture the spirit of the new industrial and technological age, it is a symbol of Singapore’s industrial and economic progress. Even now, it continues to contribute to our economic growth as a popular incubator hub for new business start-ups.

Reviewing conservation guidelines with stakeholders

14 While we continue to identify more heritage buildings for conservation, we are mindful of the need to remain responsive to market needs. Conservation sometimes means less flexibility in development or loss of development potential. We need to maintain a fine balance between conservation and economic viability by constantly reviewing our conservation guidelines.

15 Last year, URA reviewed the permissible uses in the Core Areas of Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Little India. To maintain the ethnic ambience and character of these areas, current guidelines disallow trades that are incompatible to the character of these areas, such as discotheques, car showrooms and workshops.
In addition, only retail shops and restaurants are allowed on the first floor in Core Areas to generate activity at the street level.

16 However, business models and economic cycles have changed over the past decade. We need to ask ourselves, are such measures still relevant and effective today?

17 To gather feedback, URA consulted stakeholders such as Citizens’ Consultative Committees and Business Associations of the respective districts, as well as the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Heritage Society. These groups unanimously supported URA’s proposed modifications to the guidelines.

18 Service shops will now be allowed on all floors, including the first storey, in the core areas. This move will benefit both residents and visitors. We have also decided to exclude Telok Ayer from the Core Area. This is because the uses of the buildings in the area have evolved towards small businesses and office set-ups.

19 In reviewing the guidelines, we are mindful that the changes will not result in the erosion of the character and ambience of these areas. Indeed, some guidelines have to be tightened to preserve these traditional ethnic areas. For example, bars, pubs and nightclubs are not allowed in the Kampong Glam core area in view of its proximity to Sultan Mosque. With the strong support of the Kampong Glam Business Association, we will extend the exclusion boundary area to Sultan Gate, Kandahar Street, Baghdad Street, Pahang Street, Aliwal Street and Haji Lane.

20 Through the active involvement of stakeholders, conservation policies and guidelines can be made more relevant without undermining the objectives of conservation. Better policy decisions in turn facilitate and encourage conservation efforts to serve the larger national interests.

Celebrating six new winners

21 In the ongoing conservation journey, the annual URA Architectural Heritage Awards play an important role. The Awards aim to inspire buildings owners, developers and contractors to achieve better quality restoration and architectural excellence, as well as raise public awareness of conservation.

22 Today, we honour the men and women who have expended resources and laboured lovingly to add to our trove of heritage treasures, for our benefit and that of future generations’. This year, there are four winners in Category A (for fully conserved buildings). We stand on the grounds of one of them right now – the Malay Heritage Centre. Formerly the Istana or royal palace of the Sultan, this elegantly restored building continues to hold pride of place in Kampong Glam today.

The other winners in Category A include The Scarlet, a boutique hotel whose luxurious interiors have graced the pages of many design magazines; Waterboat House, a unique maritime landmark at the mouth of the Singapore River; and Spa Botanica, a former colonial barracks turned modern spa.

23 In Category B (which is for conservation projects that innovatively integrate old and new elements), we have two winners this year. One is a pair of terrace houses at 63 and 65 Emerald Hill Road, with identical facades but distinct interiors. The other is Sandalwood, a development in Joo Chiat that fuses the old world charm of conservation houses with the modernity of a new condominium.

24 The six new winners whom we are honouring today will bring the total number of winners to 64. Indeed, we have seen growing interest and participation over the years. It is not just the numbers that I find heartening.
It is also the range of winning buildings that is encouraging. The winners show that all kinds of heritage developments can be lovingly and innovatively maintained.

Rediscover Kampong Glam with new walking map

25 The Architectural Heritage Awards and our 6,500 conservation buildings testify that we have no lack of heritage treasures. To bring heritage closer to the man-in-the-street, URA has produced a new walking map on Kampong Glam, in collaboration with Malay Heritage Centre, National Heritage Board and Singapore Tourism Board. Armed with this map, locals and tourists can now explore and enjoy this Historic District that has retained its Malay roots and ambience while moving with the times.

26 Finally, let me thank and congratulate the owners, architects, engineers and contractors of the six winning projects this year for their outstanding efforts.
We look forward to their continued partnership and support in protecting our national architectural heritage.

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