Where Are Singapore's Black-And-Whites?

We explore the neighbourhoods that are home to these beautiful heritage buildings.

- Rebecca Bisset

Singapore’s colonial black-and-white houses are in my top three architecture styles, along with Georgian, and the Peranakan shophouses. Design-wise they’re perfect for this climate, with thick walls and good eves that provide shade. Most of them originally included an open ventilation structure to allow natural airflow, though many have subsequently been filled in to accommodate air-conditioning.

The majority of these striking houses were built in the first few decades of the 1900s, and for a mix of uses – from homes to officers’ messes and administration buildings. There are around 500 of them still standing in Singapore today. Most are homes, but some are used for businesses or restaurants. Sadly, quite a few are empty as rents are high; others are waiting to have new roofs put on, or have been left to become overgrown and derelict – like my old house!

Here’s a quick rundown on the history of these different neighbourhoods and some of the different styles.

About the name: Black-and-whites take their name from the contrast between the dark timbers used in the beams of the houses and their bright whitewashed walls. The dark tone of the wood is a result of it being treated for termites with an oil called creosote.

Adam Park

The 19 black-and-white houses here were built in the late 1920s for municipal purposes. They played witness to a fierce three-day battle during World War II (leading to one area being known as “Hellfire Corner”), and then served as a prisoner-of-war camp for defeated Australian and British troops. Over a thousand artefacts have been found in the area to document that period.

Did you know? One of the houses in Adam Park was established by POWs as a chapel.

Alexandra Park