Singapore’s last traditional Teochew mansion reopens to public as heritage space, lifestyle hub

[SINGAPORE] The last traditional Teochew mansion in Singapore will reopen to the public from Nov 1, for the first time in over 140 years.

The House of Tan Yeok Nee, which was acquired by the Karim Family Foundation in 2022, will serve as a heritage landmark and a multi-functional lifestyle destination, featuring an immersive gallery, fine-dining restaurant Loca Niru with contemporary Japanese-French cuisine, and event spaces.

Sited on 26,321 sq ft of freehold land – about half the size of a football field – the mansion at 101 Penang Road includes a central residence with two courtyards, surrounded by spaces that have been converted into offices for the Karim group of companies.

Extensive restoration started in 2024, led by DP Architects (DPA) and architectural conservationist, Associate Professor Yeo Kang Shua, from the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

Built between 1882 and 1885, the double-storey building was the private residence of Teochew merchant Tan Yeok Nee, who hailed from Chaozhou prefecture in China’s Guangdong province. He came to Singapore in the 1840s to start a new life as a textile peddler, and later forged his way into the lucrative trade in pepper, gambier, opium and spirits.

Now, the mansion’s new heritage gallery offers the public a close look at its architecture, craftsmanship, and conservation journey.

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Its Artist-in-Residence programme debuts with Singaporean artist Tan Ngiap Heng, 59, the great-great-grandson of the late tycoon. Tan will present two series in the gallery that explore ancestry and identity.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Tan, who has two children, said: “This restoration by the foundation is just wonderful, as it means that descendants of Tan Yeok Nee can visit this mansion any time now, together with the public.”

Before this, his family had to seek permission from the previous occupants to do so, he said.

At the opening ceremony on Thursday (Oct 30), Edwin Tong, Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, said the restoration shows how heritage ought to be preserved.

“Not just as a static monument, as something that is good to see from far and to say...we are proud of from our past, but to live in and live with as a living space where culture comes alive, where creativity takes a new form, and where we bring community back to the space,” he said.

Supporting the arts is not just about resources, but also thinking imaginatively, Tong added.

“It is also about giving heritage the newness of life...so that culture continues to resonate across different generations.”

Arts philanthropy is a key part of how Singapore preserves its heritage, he said.

“It’s a partnership. It’s not possible to be done by civil society alone, not possible by the government alone, but coming together allows us to make one plus one a lot more than two.”

The open house on Nov 1 and 2, from 10 am to 7 pm, will feature guided tours, a mini Teochew Food Festival, a photography exhibition presented by the Teochew Sim Clan, and cultural performances.

“As the house reopens, it shifts from being a privately tenanted space to a publicly accessible heritage landmark, opening its doors to the community for the first time,” said Cindy Karim, the lead principal of Karim Family Foundation.

The foundation is the philanthropic arm of a group of companies owned by the Indonesian-Chinese Karim family, led by palm oil tycoon Bachtiar Karim.

Karim, who is the daughter of the tycoon, added that the family foundation sees philanthropy as not just about giving, but safeguarding what gives a community its identity.

The building is the only remaining one of Singapore’s Four Grand Mansions built by Teochew tycoons in the late 1800s. It was gazetted as a national monument in 1974.

The other mansions include the residence of Tan Seng Poh at the corner of Hill Street and Loke Yew Street and the home of Seah Eu Chin in North Boat Quay – both of which had been demolished. The residence of Wee Ah Hood on Hill Street was also torn down, making way for the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry building.

The House of Tan Yeok Nee was sold to the Karim family in March 2022 for an undisclosed sum believed to be between S$85 million and the asking price of S$92 million. Including the restoration, market watchers estimate the project easily cost more than S$100 million.

The sellers were integrated real estate and healthcare company Perennial Holdings and asset management firm Charles Quay International. Each held a 50 per cent stake in the property.

Over its 140-year history, the mansion has served as a family home and a refuge for orphaned girls, the headquarters of the Salvation Army, a university campus, and a traditional Chinese medicine hall.

DPA’s senior associate Shawn Teo and architectural executive Jiang Wenhuan flew to Chaozhou in October 2023 with key staff members of the Karim Family Foundation and a team of consultants. They arranged for 30 skilled craftsmen, including 20 masters of Teochew architecture, to come to Singapore to work on the restoration.

Considered a masterpiece of Teochew architecture by conservation experts, the building features Teochew ceramic artwork, with its roof adorned with intricate ceramic shard appliqués crafted using the traditional Teochew inlaying technique.

Visitors can spot ornaments with mythological motifs such as the Three Stars (Gods of Fortune, Prosperity and Longevity), as well as depictions of the legendary Eight Immortals.

The restored murals depict Chinese folklore and key moments from Tan Yeok Nee’s life. Cultural carvings include commissioned wood works, such as the Phoenix and Peonies, which represents prosperity and auspiciousness.

Other features include reinstated balustrades – a significant fixture in Chinese architecture – along with entrance gates, and dragonfish-shaped corbels.

The original rainwater sprouts, shaped like carps and located in the main courtyard to aid water drainage, have also been carefully refurbished.

Said Karim: “Every ceramic shard, every carving, every revived mural is a tribute to the craftsmanship and entrepreneurial spirit of our early settlers, particularly the Teochew community whose influence built so much of Singapore’s cultural fabric.” THE STRAITS TIMES

Starting Nov 6, the heritage gallery and the restaurant will be open from Tuesday to Saturday, 6pm to 11pm. The last seating at the restaurant is at 8pm.