New apartment buildings towering over the historical  Sim Kwong Ho shophouses along Balestier Road. (Photo by: Joel Young)

Since 1971, the Preservation of Monuments act has enabled the conservation buildings and structures of architectural or historical significance.

Primarily spearheaded by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), these efforts aim to preserve Singapore’s rich and diverse history as well as her identity.

“These [buildings] are important development markers in Singapore’s history and provide a physical and tangible evidence of her heritage” said Xavier Chong, a full-time national serviceman who previously interned under the URA.

But in land-scarce Singapore, heritage buildings have undergone the process of adaptive reuse to give them new life and maximise the efficiency of the land they occupy.

Many heritage shophouses have been repurposed to house small businesses such as cafes or turned into liveable spaces. Some have even been modified to add modern features such as bigger windows and more levels to maximize the usable vertical space.

Figment, a local company, converts old shophouses into modern co-living spaces, inspired by Singaporean art, design, and architecture. These would then be rented out for people to experience living in.

“By doing this, it breathes new life into these old shophouses and while it may seem gimmicky, it has actually extended the lifespans of these shophouses while giving people the chance to live in them,” commented Damien Koh, a third-year student at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).

However, in some cases, the repurposing of these heritage buildings through private developers might come with the negative impact of cutting access off from the public.

Recent projects include the Matilda House which was repurposed into a clubhouse at the Treasure Trove condominium, accessible only by residents. Such privatisation has caused controversy amongst conservationists, who argue that they should have been maintained as public markers of local heritage to educate future generations of the significance of these places.