Page 11 - Darren Soh's Interview with Kanto_Neat
P. 11
Are there recent examples of adaptive reuse or conservation of heritage architecture in
Singapore that you think is a good template for other developments to follow?
Most adaptive reuse schemes in Singapore are on very small scales, like the numerous shophouses,
godowns, and colonial public housing sites that mostly have been turned into boutique hotels.
While commendable still, it is really far more challenging to reimagine a large sprawling
space or complex that, in the eyes of many, should just be demolished and “put to better use.”
A mid-sized example that is good to show would be the former Khong Guan Biscuit Factory
building whose owner came forward for voluntary conservation. Meta Architects was then
tasked to add a new wing on the site above it, largely dwarfing the original building but
still having a strong dialogue with it. Now housing a café on its ground floor with offices
rented out in the new extension, the building is located in a rather inaccessible industrial
part of Singapore. Nevertheless, the site has become a destination for interested folks.
10 Khong Guan Building
