Shophouses with Classical Pilasters near Raffles Hotel. Seah Street, Singapore. The shophouse, the predominant building type in colonial days, has living quarters above a shop, which is recessed beneath an arcade, thus providing protection from tropical sun and rain. This use of classical motifs on a local architectural form produces an unusually elegant building. [Compare another shophouse façade with classical elements.]
Photograph and text 2008 George P. Landow [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Other Shophouses in Singapore
- The Shophouse: A Characteristic Singaporean Architectural Form (in the Postcolonial Literature and Cuture site)
- Block of shophouses, Chinatown
- Restored Shophouses on Club Street
References
Chua Nemg Huat. The Golden Shoe: Building Singapore's Fionancial District. Singapore: Urban Development Authority, 1989.
de Ledesma, Charles, Mark Lewis, and Pauline Savage. Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei: the Rough Guide. London, 1997. See also their site.
Lee Kip Lim. The Singapore House, 1849-1942. Singapore: Times, 1988.
Last modified 21 October 2008