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A Sleek and Sophisticated Singapore Shop House Renovation

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A traditional facade of colonial architecture in Singapore masks a surprising twist within.

The dark warren of former rooms have been scraped out and replaced with a huge elegant space that connects across its center by stairwells, with a master bedroom suite and the children’s two bedrooms above the kitchen and the living room.

A Koi pond anchors the unusual plan, offering a visual feast for those traversing the stairwells.

At one extreme of the long narrow site, a kitchen and dining room is behind the Koi pond.

While on the other side of the Koi pond, the living room is separated from the dining room yet connected to it, in a way that facilitates entertaining.

Because this ground floor has been eviscerated, leaving one long room, there is more of a sense of extensive space – so important in cramped Singapore.

Beautifully crafted stairs taking you up to the private rooms above appear like sculptures circling the pond, which is now a well lighted space lit by a huge central skylight.

Throughout the new house, the gleaming combination of dark wood and smooth and glossy surfaces – water, glass, marble – create a cool and sophisticated ambiance.

While the original configuration did not suit modern living, now the overall effect is of a sleek, grownup, urbane space, thanks to Singapore’sRichardHO Architects.