The House of Tan Yeok Nee, a historically significant Chinese mansion along Penang Road and one of Singapore’s few remaining traditional courtyard houses, takes on a renewed role in conservation with a sensitive yet forward-thinking reimagining.

Gazetted as a National Monument since 1974, this architectural treasure now explores how heritage can evolve without losing its soul. To address the challenges of its urban setting—particularly the lack of foreground and the encroaching busy roads—landscape design is employed as a buffer, softening its edges and restoring a sense of calm and dignity.

Internally, the transformation is centred around the iconic courtyard, now reinterpreted as an invisible, seamless glass volume. This contemporary intervention is not only visually striking but also functionally transformative. Previously, guest movement was restricted by a narrow ‘elbow’ passage created by the pre-existing rectangular glazing. With the new rounded form, this bottleneck is eliminated, allowing for smooth, gracious circulation and an unhindered flow of ‘chi’—breathing new life and vitality into this storied space.