House of Tan Yeok Nee

House of Tan Yeok Nee stands as Singapore’s last remaining traditional Chinese mansion, originally constructed between 1882 and 1885 by prominent Teochew businessman Tan Yeok Nee. Gazetted as a National Monument, the residence embodies the craftsmanship and spatial principles of traditional Teochew architecture, where courtyards, richly ornamented roofscapes, carved timber details, and symmetrical halls express both cultural symbolism and architectural continuity.

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Our photography and short film documents the restored monument as both heritage artifact and living contemporary space, capturing how conservation and adaptive reuse coexist within the building’s layered architectural character. The imagery explores the interplay of light, material, and ornamentation across courtyards and interior volumes, revealing moments where restored craftsmanship, atmospheric stillness, and traces of history converge within Singapore’s evolving urban landscape.