Temasek Shophouse has been awarded the 2019 Award for Restoration at the annual URA Architectural Heritage Awards, which recognises the exemplary restoration of gazetted national heritage buildings.

The commendation was accorded to the project for adhering to the three ‘R’ principles of maximum retention, sensitive restoration and careful repair.

With the history of the shophouse dating back to 1928, the gazetted building was unoccupied for nine years and in a state of disrepair. Refurbishment work was carried out over a period of 18 months to painstakingly preserve the unique appearances and heritage of the shophouse. Influenced by biophilic design, careful attention was paid towards selecting sustainable and green materials for the shophouse, as well as utilising natural light and LED light fixtures. In recognition of the dedication to go green, the building obtained the BCA Green Mark GoldPlus for existing buildings.

“We thank URA for recognising the efforts behind the restoration. Temasek Shophouse was initiated by Temasek back in 2017 to transform the unoccupied conservation shophouses into a social impact hub right at the heart of Orchard Road. Managed by Temasek Trust, Temasek Shophouse is a gift from Temasek to the community. As a cradle for social impact to advance sustainability and achieve common good for the community, this award gives affirmation to the teams behind the project as we build a place where purposeful hardware and heartware come together,” said Yvonne Tay, Director of Temasek Shophouse.

Surbana Jurong is the lead multidisciplinary consultant for the project and is involved in the general space planning and architectural design, with Asylum coordinating the bulk of the interior design.

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About Temasek Shophouse

Nestled along downtown Orchard in a heritage building constructed in 1928, Temasek Shophouse stands today as a place where business and community, enterprise and philanthropy, hardware and heartware all come together under one roof. Its facilities include an event space and an embedded social enterprise café, a rooftop garden, co-working spaces, meeting and function rooms, and offices for the staff from Temasek Trust, Temasek Foundation and Stewardship Asia Centre.