26 November 2007

Baba House: A peek into Straits Chinese culture

The first phase in the restoration of the Baba House at 157 Neil Road has just been completed -- and the media as well as members of the Peranakan community enjoyed a sneak preview of the building with its rich heritage on 24 Nov. Already, one could see that ornate corbels and panels depicting Chinese iconography have been carefully cleaned and given back its original lustre.  

SNEAK PREVIEW: Members of the Peranakan community and the media getting a guided tour round Baba House.

Possibly one of Singapore's last remaining intact Straits Chinese terraced houses, the Baba House is a gift for research to NUS from Ms Agnes Tan, the daughter of the late Straits Chinese community, Tun Tan Cheng Lock. The house, more than 150 years old, is now managed by NUS Museum, NUS Centre For the Arts. Its restoration is led by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and supported by the research work of NUS staff from Department of Architecture, School of Design and Environment, and Southeast Asian Studies Programme, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Said Ms Agnes Tan: "I hope the Baba House will serve to inspire present and future generations in every possible way. My father Tun Tan Cheng Lock, who was proud of his Peranakan roots, always believed in knowledge and education and the ideals of a multiracial, multicultural nation, and my contribution to this exciting heritage project is dedicated to his memory."

Mr Peter Lee, Honorary Curator for the Baba House, oversees the interiors of the various rooms. The interior reconstruction aims to provide visitors with glimpses or traces of the domestic setting associated directly to the House. "Considering the historical challenge of the Baba House's present history, the presentation of the interiors should turn the clock back to about 1928, which perhaps represents the last period when the house was in its 'prime'," he said.

ARCHAELOGICAL FINDS: Some of the historical objects unearthed include bottles, fragments of porcelain, bricks and glass.

Archaeologist Lim Chen Sian from the Southeast Asian Studies Programme, unearthed over 2,000 items, including fragments of "achar" pickle jars and even sewer pipes. "The archaeological study of Neil Road House is perhaps the most comprehensive, if not the only detailed, study of a building with conservation status, ever undertaken in Singapore. We were able to reveal the significance behind its associated material culture, architectural ornamentations, and building construction methods, providing clues for us to interpret the past and perhaps a glimpse into the mindset of those who once dwelt in the house," he said.

The Baba House will be a resource for teaching and research in various disciplines at NUS -- faculty members and researchers can explore the Baba House and its collection. Come middle of next year, the Baba House will also be open to the public throughout the year -- with workshops on Straits Chinese cuisine and art and craft, as well as workshops for children. Also in the pipeline are special programmes such as symposiums and discussion panels on various aspects of Straits Chinese culture featuring key Straits Chinese personalities and scholars