Shophouse Spirit: Layered Living in Modern Singapore

Authors
Cassandra Yeap June Yi, Cherie Thio Tian Zhen & Nur Asyiqin Binti Mohamad Salleh

Supervisor
Assoc Prof Cherian George

Year
2013

Abstract

Shophouses were, at one point, the dominant building form in Singapore. First
brought to the island by immigrants from Southern China in the 19th century, they
earned widespread popularity across races and social classes because of their
adaptability, and the ease with which they could be built. Now, they are icons
of Singapore’s history and heritage. But shophouses represent more than just
Singapore’s past. Behind the shutters of each shophouse reside inhabitants who
embrace an ethos very different from that of the rest of the population. This feature
seeks to express the spirit of the shophouse lifestyle through the stories of the
people living in and around them. It hopes to uncover perspectives on living that are
timeless – yet especially timely for a society that is grappling with what it will take
to grow successfully.

Click link to view
http://hdl.handle.net/10356/52519