Living History

A chance encounter during one of the homeowner’s regular jaunts to check out conservation shophouses in various parts of Singapore led to the acquisition of this corner unit. LYNN TAN finds out how he transformed a dilapidated shophouse into a family home.

- Lynn Tan

Peter Ow’s love for conservation shophouses began with a café that he owned some years back. It was operating within a conservation shophouse along Armenian Street and the renovation process provided him with invaluable experience in conserving and transforming such properties, as well as develop a deeper appreciation for them. When he chanced upon the opportunity to own this conservation shophouse located within the Joo Chiat Conservation Area, he seized it.

Belonging to the Second Transitional Shophouse style, it was built in the late 1920s and the condition had deteriorated over the years. A provision shop occupied the first story, while the second story housed a multi-generation family. The original timber doors and windows had been changed to aluminum, the rear air well roofed over and the provision shop had roller shutters and retractable metal gates. These were the result of previous renovations that had been carried out insensitively or out of necessity due to its commercial usage. The spiral staircase at the back was also in a state of disrepair. Fortunately, the unit was still structurally sound, so the original structure could be retained.