Sep 30, 2006
The winners
Old St Andrew's School
1 Francis Thomas Drive
FAMOUS for its fish-scale stucco textured walls, the old St Andrew's School was designed in 1939 by Frank Brewer, the renowned British architect who was also behind the Cathay building.
The old school building - used as a hospital during the Japanese Occupation - has been carefully restored as a Diocesan Centre, retaining special features such as queue lines along the corridors that were once used for daily inspections of students' shoes and the school's unique peach-pink walls.
As the architects had access to only black-and-white photographs, laboratory tests were also conducted to determine the original colour of the walls.
Draycott 8 clubhouse
4 Draycott Drive
THIS black-and-white colonial house flanked by a 50m-long swimming pool was once occupied by British air marshals and French-language school Alliance Francaise De Singapour.
Built in the 1920s, it is now a clubhouse for luxury condominium Draycott 8.
Architects strengthened the structure of the building using advanced, non-intrusive techniques while all existing doors and windows were restored along with metal grilles and louvres.
Although most of the timber floor boards were retained, part of the flooring was replaced with reinforced concrete to house a wine cellar and mechanical equipment.
A lift enveloped in granite and timber lattices was also introduced to link the clubhouse's second floor with the basement carpark.
59 Blair Road
BUILT in the 1920s, this Late Style shophouse in the Blair Plain Conservation Area was in a state of disrepair when conservation works began last year.
Features of the unique exterior, such as a trapezoid-shaped roof, external corbels (brackets projecting from the face of a wall) and mouldings of the two-storey shophouse were restored by artisans or replaced when they could not be salvaged.
The interior, however, is a study in modern urban living. New timber additions were stained a dark tint to demarcate the new from restored elements. On the ground floor, a landscaped courtyard features a lap pool and modern deck.
Church of the Ascension
13 Francis Thomas Drive
THE post-war Anglican church, which has served congregations over the last 40 years, was originally designed by Ho Kwong Yew & Sons in 1959 as part of the StAndrew's School grounds.
It was one of the first attempts by a Singaporean architectural firm to combine local architectural elements with post-colonial style.
Conservation work for the project was aimed at preserving the building while extending its seating capacity from 250 to 400.
Two verandahs with glass skylights were added to the second storey of the main sanctuary to increase the capacity while great care was taken to restore original features such as timber louvred doors and iron grille gates.
Empire Lofts
42-45 Mosque Street
TENANTS of these swanky apartment units would see hardly anything of the building's previous incarnations - quite possibly as horse stables before becoming headquarters for Customs officers during British colonial days.
Today, the four-storey shophouses have been reborn as shop spaces on the ground floor and upscale apartments above.
Using a top-down approach, the roof was restored and the structure strengthened using reinforced concrete beams and piling. The building's distinctive timber windows with decorative heart- shaped cut-outs (left) were painted in an eye-catching shade of red with green trim.
Internally, a modern lift was tucked into the confines of the staircase core, while roof terraces were introduced to serve as pocket gardens for residents.
The New Majestic Hotel
31, 33, 35 and 37 Bukit Pasoh Road
THE chic boutique hotel, already featured in numerous travel and design tomes, has certainly risen from its humble 'Mistress Street' beginnings.
The four-storey Art Deco shophouses, dating back to 1928, form the second award-winning conservation project by hotelier Loh Lik Peng. He also owns Hotel 1929 in Keong Saik Road which won a URA Architectural Heritage award in 2003.
In contrast to the lobby's sleek terrazzo floors and walls, the ceiling was intentionally left unrestored to retain what Mr Loh terms an 'upside-down archaeological site', displaying the building's age and character.
A snaking staircase, reminiscent of spiral staircases in traditional shophouses, rises to a second-storey courtyard housing a 10m pool. Diners also enjoy a refreshing view - portholes built into the base of the pool are connected to the ceiling of the hotel's Majestic Restaurant.
Tan Quee Lan Suites
9 Tan Quee Lan Street
ONCE a street of brothels in the 1920s, the six pre-war shophouses have since been remodelled into commercial and living spaces.
Shops and restaurants are located on the first level, offices on the second and apartment suites on the top.
Ornamental details restored include all the timber shutters and decorative ventilation openings. The latter were then enhanced with frameless glass and acoustic seals.
The carefully conserved front is juxtaposed against a subtly modern rear extension (left), which serves as 'a filter from its rather gritty surroundings', says Suites' architect Richard Hassell of Woha Architects. Metal shuttered window screens and grilles preserve the privacy of the building's occupants, while projecting a polished exterior atypical of grimy shophouse backlanes.
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