AD13LM Land Management

Lecture 6:

Preservation and Conservation

Why the need to Preserve?

Cultural heritage is the legacy of

physical science artefacts and intangible

attributes of a group or society that are

inherited from past generations,

maintained in the present and bestowed

for the benefit of future generations.

Cultural heritage includes tangible culture

(such as buildings, monuments, landscapes,

books, works of art, and artefacts),

intangible culture (such as folklore,

traditions, language, and knowledge),

and natural heritage (including culturally

significant landscapes, and biodiversity).

UNESCO

UNESCO is responsible for coordinating international cooperation in education, science, culture

and communication. As of July 2017, there are a total of 1,073 World Heritage Sites

Moai Statues, Easter Island Taj Mahal, India

The Sphinx & Pyramids in Giza, Egypt Machu Picchu, Peru

Great Wall, China

Colosseum, Rome

UNESCO

Singapore First UNESCO World Heritage Site

Singapore First UNESCO World Heritage Site

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVEQeNjN3h0

Singapore - History of Conservation

Pressing need during urban renewal:

Address housing shortage, economic growth (1960’s)

Recommendations from United Nations (1963)

Preservation – National Monuments (1973)

Encouraging conservation in the private sector

Tanjong Pagar

– shophouse conservation

Little incentive for private citizens to conserve

their buildings

Shophouse Conservation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikIGwCm3HjA

Economic Value in Conservation

Shophouses in demand

among investors again STRAITS TIMES MAR 16, 2017, 5:00 AM SGT

Property Trend?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw8YdFzZxQI

Conservation Master Plan (1986)

Identified 6 historical areas:

Chinatown, Kampong Glam, Little India, Singapore

River, Emerald Hill,

Empress Place/Fort Canning/Bras Basah

First conservation blueprint

Covers more than 100 hectares or 4% of city core

Conservation Master Plan - Aims

Preserve the architecture and ambience

Provide conservation guidelines to facilitate private sector’s involvement in conservation;

Improve pedestrian walkways and signages;

Organise activities to bring out character of place and to encourage tourism.

Conservation Effort

Private sector undertook most of the conservation projects (75%)

Government restored national monuments and state-owned properties (25%)

10 conservation areas:

Chinatown (Telok Ayer, Kreta Ayer, Tanjong Pagar, Bukit Pasoh)

Little India, Kampong Glam, Singapore River, Cairnhill Road and Emerald Hill

To date: 7,000 buildings under conservation status in 100 areas

Preservation and Conservation

Preservation:

Highest level of preservation – original architecture

design, materials and method of construction

Set of guidelines

National monument – total number: 72 monuments

and sites:

Conservation

More flexible approach

Adaptive changes to new uses

Conservation districts, individual buildings

More than just preserving the façade of a building;

retain the ambience as far as possible

Conservation districts – Chinatown,

Little India, Kampong Glam

Historic districts – strictest form of building conservation

Unique features: architectural styles, rich ornamentation

Entire building envelope including rear courts are restored; low-rise scale of area is maintained.

Diverse uses based on original character – commercial, community, residential

Established trades are encouraged to remain eg Tiger Balm, Chinese medicine shops in Chinatown; other trades and uses are gone: clog making, lantern making, ‘death’ houses at Sago Lane

Chinatown

Kampong Glam

Little India

Residential

– Emerald Hill, Cairnhill, Blair Plain

First developed as residences for the well to do

Blair Plain:

- two to three storey shophouses of various architectural styles, Peranakan tiles, from Early and Modern shophouse styles

- To accommodate modern day needs of a family home, extension at the rear of the houses is permitted

Emerald Hill

- two storey terrace houses of architectural styles ranging from Transitional to Art Deco; residences of Peranakans and wealthy merchants in the 1930’s

- extension at rear of house allowed, need to be lower than main roof

Blair Plain

Emerald Hill

Jalan Besar, Beach Rd, River Valley,

Geyland and Joo Chia

Mix of ‘Late shophouse’, Art Deco and Modern

shophouse architectural styles

Planning guidelines focus more on streetscapes as

these areas have both historic shophouses and new,

taller developments.

Joo Chiat: decorative and ornate shophouses

Good class bungalows &

Mountbatten Rd conservation area

‘Black and white’ bungalows built in the 1900s to 1950s

Standalone two-storey houses, often with verandahs at the front and side; broad overhanging hipped roofs set in large grounds

Influenced by Tudor styles and Malay kampong houses; catered to the British

The highest ranking colonial officers lived in them

White House Park/Nassim Road conservation area

Chatsworth Park conservation area

Holland Park/Ridout Park conservation area

If the bungalow is within a site allowed for condominiums, it can be converted to a clubhouse

Charming Duxton Hill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTA1D3kunVw

To preserve and celebrate our shared heritage

1) Planning, research and

publication to extend knowledge on

sites and monuments

2) Regulatory support to guide

restoration, preservation and

protection of sites and monuments

3) Outreach, to promote public

interest and awareness in sites and

monuments

4) Advice for the government in

respect of matters relating to the

preservation of sites and

monuments.

National Monuments

3R Principle:

Retention, Restoration, Repair

Original structure and architectural elements should be retained and restored as far as possible without reconstructing the entire building; replace only parts of the building

Restoration: research and documentation

Eg Asia Insurance Building

- Archival drawings, site examination

- Research on original creamy travertine and

Nero Portaro marble cladding

- Brass mail chute from 1950’s retained for use

- Upgraded to meet the needs of modern hotel

while maintaining its rich heritage value

http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/home-

design/once-among-asias-giants

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/7-things-about-the-fullerton-building-now-a-singapore-national-monument

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/fullerton-holds-special-meaning-for-singaporeans-says-pm-lee

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fullerton_Hotel_Singapore

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/kuala-lumpurs-heritage-buildings-under-threat?login=true

Conclusion

Cities face the challenge of striking a balance

between conservation and redevelopment.

In land-scarce Singapore, this is often a big

challenge.

We must develop our city to keep it attractive in the

global economy. But in doing so, we need to

conserve our urban heritage because it gives us a

sense of history and identity.

Thank you