Located within Singapore’s Historic District (Little India Conservation Area), 216-4 Syed Alwi Road, is a 2-Storey shophouse possibly built during the British Colonial period in the early 20th Century. Based on the architectural style of the building, 216-4 Syed Alwi Road belongs to the Late Shophouse period, with its spectacular use of ornamentation. The tripartite arrangement of windows on the façade reduces the wall space to a minimum and provides maximum ventilation. In this case, the ‘wall’ surface is replaced by columns or pilasters that borrowed feely from various ethnic traditions. Brightly-coloured ceramic tiles and plaster bouquets, festoons, plaques and other elaborate ornamentation are evidence of the builder’s artistry.
