d+a | Issue 116 • Jun/July 2020

/ HOSPITALITY / 48 A MADE- IN-SINGAPORE FURNITURE BRAND WITH A FOCUS ON HERITAGE AND HISTORY WAS INVITED TO DESIGN PIECES FOR THIS CO-LIVING PROJECT IN THE SUBURBS. SCENE IN BALESTIER WORDS LOW SHI PING / PHOTOGRAPHY JESSICA WONG, IVAN TAN V isitors to Singapore residing in Shang House can truly say they have lived like a local. For starters, the co-living space is located in the suburban neighbourhood of Balestier on Pegu Road. Specifically, it is inside a conservation shophouse on the quiet residential street, offering five suites across four storeys, complemented by generous living and dining rooms, and a kitchen. Taking the cue from the locale, the team from made-in-Singapore furniture label Scene Shang fitted it out with homeware that referenced Balestier’s rattan- manufacturing past. At the same time, it also stays true to its signature Shanghai Art Deco style, albeit with a contemporary take, to keep it relevant for urbanites of today. 1. The narrow frontage of the shophouse belies the generous space concealed behind the façade. / OPPOSITE. An atrium soaring four-and- a-half storeys up sits immediately beyond the living room. WEAVING A NARRATIVE The narrow frontage of the shophouse belies the generous space concealed behind the façade. Keeping out prying eyes is the three- sectioned, porous Teng Wicker Screen placed behind the Ming Console Table in solid elm wood just inside the front door. Immediately, the connection toBalestier’s heritage is established at the entrance. Once inside, the attention is distracted by an atrium soaring four-and-a-half storeys up and filled with daylight. The canvas is predominantly white, apart from the grey-veined flooring on the ground floor, and timbre strips making up the staircase banisters and steps. “When I first saw the shophouse, I was excited by the modern space offering a good balance of openness and airiness,” says 1