The Shophouse: 9 Things to Know About Asia’s Iconic Dwelling

With a history dating back to the 19th century, shophouses are typically terraced houses that are two to three stories high. They are multi-functional dwellings that combine residential and commercial needs under one roof. These shophouses were once a staple in the architectural fabric of many parts of Asia such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. However, with time, they are increasingly phased out by modern high-rise buildings. Today shophouses are hailed as prized heritage gems that offer an insight into how people used to live and work.

The shophouses took inspiration from the Tong Lau or “Chinese house” that was commonly found in towns and cities in South Chinese provinces. This building type flourished in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong in the 19th century, intensified by the arrival of Chinese immigrants from Southern China. Quanzhou, situated beside the Taiwan Straits, is the ancestral home of a diaspora of an estimated six million Chinese people in Southeast Asia today. Many of their ancestors had been working-class laborers who flocked to Southeast Asia in the 19th century to seek a better life. Impoverished with nothing to their name, these immigrants had to make do with tight spaces as accommodation. Oftentimes, such mixed-use dwellings were cramped with large families who tolerated unsanitary and poor living conditions. Many ended up settling in Southeast Asia for good to escape the repercussions of wars and political upheavals plaguing China at the time.

2. There Are Many Architectural Styles When It Comes to Shophouses

As these immigrant communities grew in size, the dwellings in which they occupied began to reflect a unique architectural style. Popular from the 1840s to 1900s, this style is referred to as the “Early Shophouse Style” in Singapore and the “Southern Chinese Eclectic Style” in Malaysia today. Constructed with locally sourced materials by immigrants, these shophouses were low and squat. They were built to be functional and practical and usually featured timber windows, and minimal ornamentation. Vents for air circulation were also an important feature because of the need to adapt to the tropical heat. Shophouses of this period were typically small and single-storeyed and almost always featured a pitched roof and a back kitchen.

Shophouses as a building type can still be found today in various parts of Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. They were often built in a narrow and deep fashion, allowing many of these terraced houses to line the streets. While high-rise buildings and skyscrapers dominate the cityscapes today, shophouses are being conserved in a handful of enclaves today. In Singapore, many of the shophouses are found in the downtown area and eastern parts of the island. Penang and Malacca are home to some of Malaysia’s most well-conserved shophouses. In Indonesia, Chinese-style shophouses are still prominent in some parts of Surabaya, Medan, Tangerang, and Semarang.

4. Hong Kong Is Home to “Tong Lau” Shophouses

In Hong Kong, there are a handful of historic shophouses or tenement houses wedged between the city’s skyscrapers. These tenement houses are best identified by their decorative columns, unique verandas, and window arches from a bygone time. Found in popular districts such as Kowloon and Wan Chai, they are referred to by their original name Tong Lau and date to the 19th century. Unlike the shophouses of Southeast Asia, Hong Kong’s Tong Laus can go up to six or seven floors, hence they are also called “walk-up tenements.” Today, some of these houses have been converted into art spaces, record shops, and chic cafes. However, as many of these iconic buildings have fallen into disrepair with time, they are also increasingly facing demolition.

5. Some Shophouses Were Mandated by Law to Have Certain Features

Shophouses in Singapore during the British colonial era were mandated by law to have a feature called the “five-foot way.” Akin to a covered corridor in front of the shophouse, the five-foot way would shelter pedestrians from the sweltering tropical heat and torrential rain. This feature had been incorporated in the 1822 town plan drawn up by Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. He required each house to “have a veranda of certain depth, open at all times as a continued and covered passage on each side of the street.” As its name suggests, the five-foot way has a minimum width of five feet, which provides ample space for shop owners to display their merchandise. At the same time, this space allowed itinerant traders, such as mobile barbers or fortune tellers, to set up shop here.

In Hong Kong, the government introduced a new set of regulations in 1903 after a bubonic plague outbreak. To allow sufficient light, all Tong Laus were required by law to have a light well and bigger windows. They also had to adhere to a building limit of four floors, a regulation that was largely applicable before World War II. These regulations, too, ensured that back-to-back constructions were outlawed, with a frontage set at 15 feet and a mandatory six-foot lane at the rear of the building. Later in the 1920s, the government introduced reinforced concrete form as the main structural element for Tong Laus. This created verandas and recessed balconies, which allowed more light in.

In tropical Southeast Asia, shophouses bore architectural features such as roof eaves and louvre-shaded windows to adapt to the relentless climate. These were historically adapted from traditional Malay vernacular architecture often seen in kampungs which referred to villages. The increasing influence of the burgeoning Chinese community in the late 19th century was also reflected on the facades of the shophouses. Known as the Chinoiserie style, motifs of Chinese mythology or characters would often adorn the exteriors of the shophouse. Decorative elements ranged from folklore and flowers to the quintessential dragons and phoenixes characteristic of Chinese culture. Colorful floor tiles bearing floral motifs were also a popular fixture, owing to the vibrant and diverse culture of the Peranakan or Straits Chinese community, which referred to people of Chinese-Malay heritage.

7. Some Facades Bear Very Prominent European Architectural Influences

As Western imperialism left its imprint on many countries in Asia, its cultural influence extended to the architectural realm. Roman-style arches, columns, balustrades, and parapets were often seen on many colonial-era shophouses. Art Deco style designs began to gain widespread popularity in Asia from the 1930s onwards. This included the quintessential zig-zag stepped pattern on the roofs and the use of Shanghai plaster—a façade material made from pebbles and marble chippings. Ornate tiles imported from Europe and Japan also found their way onto the elaborate exteriors of the shophouses. The aesthetics of post-World War II artistic movements, such as Brutalism, too, influenced the architectural style of many Asian shophouses. Later, the 1960s and 1970s saw architects favoring function over primarily decorative elements of the bygone era.

In Malaysia, Melaka and George Town, Penang became two renowned World Heritage Sites recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2008. The inscription celebrates the multicultural influences that are well-preserved in Melaka and George Town, hailing them as remarkable examples of complete and surviving historical city centers. In particular, UNESCO noted the “exceptional range of shophouses and townhouses” in the cities, which demonstrated the historic developments of the building type, with some even encapsulating Dutch and Portuguese influences. Today, Melaka and George Town are two prime locations favored by tourists and commercial developers alike, with many of the shophouses there accorded conservation status. 

9. Shophouses Are Prime Real Estate That Can Easily Fetch Millions

Heritage shophouses are highly sought after today as luxury homes and commercial spaces. A shophouse in George Town, Penang, can fetch up to RM8 million, which converts to about $1.7 million USD. In neighboring Singapore, where land is scarce, heritage shophouses are highly prized and also highly-priced real estate gems. In 2023, a Chinese investor paid SGD$80 million (approximately $59 million USD) for a row of six shophouses in the city center, making it the most high-profile deal of the year. It is estimated that there are only about 6,500 shophouses in the city-state that are accorded conservation status. Very few individuals of the 5.6-million-strong population could afford to live in shophouses due to the high prices. The majority of people in Singapore reside in public housing flats that are subsidized by the government.