Two national monuments, along with a hotel, and the headquarters of home grown biscuit brand Khong Guan, were in the limelight at this year’s Architectural Heritage Awards (AHA).

The AHA ceremony was held on 9 November at the Asian Civilisations Museum. At the ceremony, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee presented the awards to the following winners:

• Jurong Town Hall (9 Jurong Town Hall Road)
• The Great Madras (28, 30, 32 Madras Street)
• Khong Guan Building (2 Mactaggart Road)
• Kwek Hong Png Wing and Riverfront Wing of the Asian Civilisations Museum (1 Empress Place)

An Award for New Design in Heritage Contexts was presented for the first time at the ceremony. The Kwek Hong Png Wing and Riverfront Wing of the Asian Civilisations Museum bagged this award for their exemplary and innovative designs that integrated well with the national monument and its historic context.

The 2018 Award for Restoration and Innovation went to Khong Guan Building. Built in 1952 by the Chew family who founded Khong Guan Biscuit, the three-storey conserved building saw an eight-storey extension sensitively designed, and creatively inserted to create more space.

Jurong Town Hall and The Great Madras won the 2018 Awards for Restoration. The project team for Jurong Town Hall rejuvenated the Modernist building and reprised its role as an icon for industrialisation in Jurong. On the other hand, the project team for The Great Madras revamped the pre-war Singapore Improvement Trust apartment building into a nostalgic boutique hotel that enlivened the street with its “Open Lobby” concept.

Minister Lee lauded the community for taking tremendous care and effort in restoring these heritage buildings to give them a new lease of life.

With the latest four winners, 134 projects have received the AHA since it was first launched in 1995. Conferred by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the annual AHA celebrates the role of quality restoration in shaping Singapore into a distinctive and endearing city. Well-restored heritage buildings also link Singaporeans to the past, giving us a greater sense of history and identity.

The AHA came in the midst of the Architectural Heritage Season, a month-long programme organised by URA to celebrate Singapore’s built heritage. A series of activities including talks, exhibitions and tours has been lined up to deepen public appreciation of heritage gems, and to build professional capabilities in quality restoration.

Besides free guided tours around well-restored heritage buildings such as The Warehouse Hotel, Jurong Town Hall, and Fullerton Heritage, you can also bring your family to Kampong Glam Day Out on 24 November. Don’t miss this chance to take a walk down memory lane with celebrity tour guide Najib Ali, get acquainted with the traditional trades of the historic district, and enjoy nostalgic childhood snacks while watching a movie under the stars.