CONSERVATION OF CHINATOWN (TANJONG PAGAR) : THE IMPACT ON HERITAGE AND IDENTITY

Abstract

In the early stage of Singapore’s growth and development, urban renewal is the main priority of the State, to develop commercial structures which would support the growth of the economy in Singapore. However, by the 1980s, there is an increasing need to maintain the heritage and protect the history in Singapore, following a realization that many important historical fabrics have been lost in the process of urban renewal and development. Conservation began and Tanjong Pagar Conservation Area became the pilot restoration project. Today, high-end Food and Beverage (F&B) establishments are ubiquitous among the shophouses in Tanjong Pagar. This is more significant in Tanjong Pagar Road, Duxton Road and Duxton Hill, since they have the highest percentage of these F&B establishments. This dissertation seeks to examine the impact of an intrusion of F&B establishments in these streets, to determine if they would weaken the sense of heritage in the shophouses, resulting in heritage contestations and exclusion. Through this study, it was realized that the infusion of F&B establishments did not weaken the sense of heritage; rather, through conservation and adaptive reuse, the shophouses are well-maintained and the heritage remained. At the same time, the respondents preferred the F&B uses over the traditional uses; hence, it is most likely that they do not experience heritage contestation.