The Shophouse Hotel: Vernacular Heritage in a Creative City

Abstract

In creative cities, new enterprises emerge all the time catering to the changing needs and lifestyles of visitors and local communities. Reputable institutions, cultural activities, iconic buildings as well as small, local businesses all play a role in `branding' the creative city. This study presents one such small enterprise in the form of historical shophouse hotels in Singapore. These shophouse inns are locally owned, housed in architecturally unique buildings and are regarded as emblems of Singaporean identity. It is argued that the urban vernacular, exemplified through the hotels, is a dynamic concept evolving over time, across place and for different groups of people and users. First, the paper explores how the shophouse vernacular provides a platform for the celebration of Singaporean identity by new boutique hoteliers. Secondly, a critique is presented of the commodification of the shophouse as modern hoteliers (business and budget inns) jump onto the heritage bandwagon to create new urban spaces of identity. Finally, contestations are discussed, as different people consider different vernaculars to be worthy of a place in the transforming city. As Singapore evolves as a creative city, the multidimensionality of the vernacular provides a fitting emblem to showcase the creative possibilities of historical buildings, traditional architecture and urban environments.