Yeo Ghim Lay, Straits Times 8 Dec 07;
With its imposing facade and jutting driveway, this soon-to-be-built condominium looks set to stand out in Amber Road. In fact, the porch over the driveway facing the road protrudes beyond the legal limit.
The unusual design is deliberate, however.
It is the result of a compromised solution made to preserve the facade. And the instigators behind it are a group of heritage enthusiasts.
Calling themselves the Historic Architecture Rescue Plan (Harp), they started an intense public campaign late last year when they heard that a 95-year-old house at 23 Amber Road was to be demolished and a high-rise built in its place.
Fliers were distributed to nearby residents, online petitions started and e-mails lobbed at the authorities.
Harp argued that the neo-renaissance architectural features of the two-storey house made it special.
Also, its architect was Regent Alfred John Bidwell, the man behind such iconic buildings as the Raffles Hotel and Victoria Memorial Hall.
Their unrelenting efforts resulted in the state stepping in, concessions made by government agencies and developer AG Capital agreeing to keep the facade and front porch of the house.
But the journey was long. The developer, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Harp, among others, negotiated for six months to reach the 'hybrid' solution.
Though architects and conservationists have mockingly called it the 'Frankenstein' building, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan sees it as a win-win solution.
He admits that like most hybrid solutions, it did not please everybody. But, he adds, 'it was a solution which both the developer and ultimately the conservationists could live with'.
The resolution is also an example of how a compromise can be reached between opposing interest groups. In this case, a more vocal one versus a quieter one that is no less significant or valid, he says in an interview.
Harp, Mr Mah adds, had produced many options. 'We looked at each and found them not workable.'
But getting them to accept the final solution - 'I won't say agreement but acceptance' - involved a very extended series of dialogues with the conservationists individually and as a group, he adds.
For decades, the Amber Road house was known by its moniker Butterfly House because of its crescent shape. With the new design, its 'wings' will go. They are going to make way for an 18-storey condominium targeted for completion in 2009.
The house could not be conserved fully because there was very little remaining land in the compound around it, says Mrs Teh Lai Yip, the URA's deputy director of conservation and development services. Insisting on it would have resulted in a loss for the developer, who paid $8.9 million for the 1,095 sq m site.
To preserve parts of the house, the URA went knocking on the door of several government agencies.
As the porch over the driveway facing the road was going to jut out beyond the legal limit, the Land Transport Authority had to give its okay. The National Parks Board also had to agree to relent on its rule requiring a 2m strip of plants around the site.
Mrs Teh says AG Capital, which declined to be interviewed, was very understanding in working with the URA. The builder could have ignored the protests and gone ahead with its plans as the house was legally theirs.
She believes the Amber Road saga shows that 'balancing our love for old buildings with our heads is a tough job. But it's a meaningful challenge.'
But Harp's members feel that with more time, they could have saved the entire house. Says public relations officer Terrence Hong, one of its 40 members: 'But given the circumstances, we felt it was a victory for us.'
While Harp pines for more to be done, Mr Mah feels the saga was an enriching experience, with 'everyone coming out of it understanding much better how strongly some people feel about conservation, and how we can accommodate those (interests).'
Adds Dr James Khoo, chairman of the Conservation Advisory Panel: 'I think Harp has made the Government more sensitive to these things. With our ageing population...it's important for people to have good social memories, as it contributes to being patriotic Singaporeans.'
