From Royal Compound to A Conservation Area
Kampong Glam, named after glam trees, was designated as the site of the new royal compound of the Malay royal family in 1819. With its rich history and culture, Kampong Glam was listed as a conservation area by URA in 1989, attracting thousands of tourists around the world. Also, the region is now a national center for Muslim culture and activities, with a focus on the Sultan Palace, the Sultan Mosque, and the Sultan Gate.
The Past
Kampong Glam’s story can be traced back to 1819 when Sir Stanford Raffles formed a treaty between the British East India Company, Temenggong of Johor, and Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor, to establish a trading center in Singapore. [1]
Shortly after reaching an agreement, Sultan’s family and his entourages moved from Riau to Kampong Glam with hundreds of ships, where he built his royal compound. This region quickly became a settlement for the Malay and Muslim immigrants.
The Structure of the original royal compound is shown in Figure 1. The entrance pathway called Sultan Gate was the principal axis for the whole royal compound. It extends perpendicular to the coastline and inland to the Sultan Palace, Sultan Mosque, and royal cemeteries. According to the government’s planning, Victoria Street (October 1824) and North Bridge Road (1825) were built through the royal compound, resulting in a reduction of the Sultan’s territory.
Figure 1: Structure of Sultan’s Royal Compound[2]
The original Sultan Palace (Istana Kampong Glam) was built in 1819 by Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor. It is reasonable to infer that it was a wooden structure based on the then architectural style. The concrete structure that we see today was reconstructed by Sultan Ali Iskandar Shah, the eldest son of Sultan Hussein. It was rebuilt in the same location as the original architecture between 1836 and 1843.
Figure 2: (Left) Wooden Structure; (Right) Concrete Structure[3]
In 1824, Sultan Hussein of Johor decided to build a mosque inside the royal compound. Sir Raffles guaranteed that the East India Company would offer financial support for the construction of the Sultan Mosque. A brick structure was used to create enough space allowing the large Muslim population to do their prayers at that time. In 1924, the Board of Trustees proposed to rebuild a new building of the mosque on the same site. [4]
Figure 3: (Left) Sultan Mosque in 1825; (Right) Sultan Mosque in 1938 [5]
Sultan Gate got its name because it leads to the entrance to the former Sultan Palace. It is believed to be one of the oldest roads in Singapore, whose origins can be traced back to the earliest settlement period when Sultan Hussein of Johor built his first royal compound in Kampong Glam. In the 19th century, Sultan Gate was reserved for masons and blacksmiths with the two-storey shophouses.
Figure 4: Sultan Gate in the 19th Century[6]
The story of the royal compound highlights the historical characteristics of Kampong Glam in early colonial Singapore. It concentrates on the integration of the royal culture and maritime social context, which formed the basic framework for the organization and development of Singapore at that time. With plentiful vernacular cultural heritage, such as Sultan Palace, Sultan Mosque, and Sultan Gate, the architectural history of Kampong Glam is no doubt a shining point for future conservation and development, which emphasizes the importance of identifying and protecting the local urban environment of Singapore and even Southeast Asia.
The Present
Post-Modern Narrative
In the early 1960s, Islam was the religion of the majority of the population in Kampong Glam, bringing those migrants together. Community associations play an important role in helping new immigrants.
Today, the landscape in Kampong Glam is a mixture of low-rise houses and traditional buildings with modern, international designs such as high-rises and large clusters of buildings. Post-modern history of Kampong Glam has basically undergone three important historical changes: Originally built among trees as a fisherman's hut; In the early colonial time, the village became a large, diverse community; Finally, it became a mature urban environment. In the late period of colonial rule, the villas were replaced by a large number of lower (two to four storeys) platoons. In addition, Kampong Glam is shaped by water, for example, its accessibility to sea and river has led to a concentration of businesses there.
Located between Kallang Road and Beach Road, Kampong Glam was formerly the residence of the Malay aristocracy. The former royal family of Singapore had lived at Istana Kampong Glam for generations until the Istana was adaptively reused as the Malay Heritage Centre in 1999. Now it has been designated as a historical reserve area, so it is still the gathering center of the Malays and Muslims in Singapore. Moreover, the royal cemetery as well as sultan mosque are still well protected today.
Figure 5: Istana Kampong Glam Before and After Refurbishment[7]
With its golden dome and vast prayer hall, Sultan Mosque is now the largest mosque in Singapore. It has two large golden domes, four symmetrical minarets, and many small kiosks and towers. Its architectural style is a perfect blend of European and Islamic elements.
Figure 6: Sultan Mosque in 2020[8]
In modern history, there was a fire in Sudan Gate on December 16, 2006. The fire destroyed some of the shophouses, which were subsequently restored, refurbished, implanted with new features and breathed new life into the area. In Sultan Gate, you can see neat rows of shophouses, such as craft shops, art galleries, traditional restaurants and so on.
Figure 7: Sultan Gate in 2020[9]
The long history of Kampong Glam is preserved by monuments, including Sultan Mosque and Cultural Heritage Centre. The maintenance of a lively and diverse community and the success of preserving heritage there have helped Kampong Glam preserve the traditional culture. In Kampong Glam, there are a lot of merchants who have opened coffee shops, perfume shops, handicraft shops and carpet shops today. Old street names continue to be used such as Kandahar St, Bussorah St. It was approved by the city commissioner in 1910. The government of Singapore has successfully revived Kampong Glam and restored the vitality and colour. That's one of the most important reasons for Kampong Glam attracting lots of merchants and becoming a shopping and leisure hot place.
The Future
What's next for Kampong Glam?
Heritage sites are digitally transformed to enhance visitor attraction and revitalize digital economy communities. The aim is to improve store discoverability and productivity, make shopping easier and make the community more attractive to a new generation of local and overseas visitors. This effort will help maintain Kampong Glam's heritage by enabling the company to survive in a changing retail environment, which is mainly online shopping.
As one of Singapore's oldest neighborhoods, Kampong Glam is now a vibrant area, with a sensual blend of time-honored traditions and trendy lifestyles. In the future, the area will continue to be a fanatical destination for fashion travelers and culture lovers.
Kampong Glam is a neighbourhood close to the hearts of many Singaporeans that blends rich history and culture with modern retail shops and modern restaurants. Strengthening the digital presence helps merchants better connect with young locals as well as overseas visitors, giving them the opportunity to experience our unique retail experience and cultural heritage.
Kampong Glam, one of the most important royal compounds in the history of Singapore's Malay and Muslim communities, witnessed Singapore’s transformation from an early fishing village to a maritime trading center. It was protected by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) in early 1989 as a conservation area. Today, it is bustling all day with tourists and locals, blending its rich history and cultural characteristics. The continuous conversations and collaborations between different stakeholders enable people to understand the values behind and provide a stage for Kampong Glam to continue to develop as a place where the past, present, and future thrive together.
“The challenge was not just to conserve Kampong Glam’s architecture and history, but also to make the area lively and
integrated with Singapore’s modern landscape.”
Bibliography
[1] Imran bin Tajudeen. 2005. “Reading the Traditional City in Maritime Southeast Asia: Reconstructing the 19th century Port Town at Gelam-Rochor-Kallang, Singapore,” Journal of Southeast Asian Architecture 8: 1-25. Journal of Southeast Asian Architecture, 8, 1–25.
[2] Self-drawn
[3] Julian Davison, SINGAPORE SHOPHOUSE SURVEY, NOS. 32-38 SULTAN GATE, Historical Land Pte. Ltd. 2014
[4] Sultan Mosque History, the Board of Trustees, http://sultanmosque.sg/about-us/sultan-mosque-history
[5] Ibid
[6] National Heritage Board, Kampong Glam (A Heritage Trail), 2012
[7] https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294265-d317436-Reviews-Kampong_Glam-Singapore.html
[8] Ibid
[9] Ibid