Temasek Shophouse triples its space to provide greater support to changemakers
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A walkway with a mirrored ceiling connects the interior spaces of the newly renovated Temasek Shophouse.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Koh Ming Lun
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SINGAPORE – Up to 50 social impact organisations will soon be able to work together under one roof and more collaboratively in the newly renovated Temasek Shophouse (TSH), which will reopen its doors on Sept 29.
The social impact hub has gone from a single heritage shophouse to four interconnected units at 16, 22, 28 and 38 Orchard Road, tripling its indoor space to 6,400 sq m following renovations that began on Dec 4, 2023.
TSH general manager Yvonne Tay said more changemakers have been stepping up to champion societal and environmental causes, and the social impact space has “never been more vibrant”.
“As a social impact hub, we aim to nurture this momentum by supporting changemakers with relevant resources.
“With a focus on heritage and culture, sustainability and community, we hope Temasek Shophouse will serve as an assembly ground where people of all ages are inspired to engage with meaningful causes,” she added.
The expanded hub features a media studio and 60 co-working spaces, triple its previous capacity.
The hub also consists of three event spaces of varying sizes – the Living Room, and the newly added Tembusu Canopy and Banyan Cove – which can host 100 to 220 guests.
There are also retail and food and beverage outlets such as Foreword Coffee and Bibik Violet
The four heritage shophouses which Temasek Shophouse occupies were built at different times in the 1920s and 1930s.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF TEMASEK SHOPHOUSE
Temasek Shophouse Collective
At the heart of the newly renovated TSH is the Temasek Shophouse Collective, which is a membership platform for social impact organisations such as social enterprises, charities and ground-up initiatives.
Members have access to facilities such as the co-working and event spaces, as well as to programmes organised by TSH, including curated workshops and mentorship sessions.
They also get to connect with over 320,000 changemakers around the world through the Impact Hubs global network.
The Temasek Shophouse Collective is currently working with up to 50 organisations.
One such organisation is raiSE, or the Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise, which supports existing and budding social enterprises through resources and programmes such as networking opportunities and capacity-building programmes.
The media studio at the newly renovated TSH.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Ms Koh Wei Shan, its director of strategic initiatives, said raiSE is using TSH as an incubation space for early-stage social enterprises to learn from and network with other changemakers.
“The idea is that after they grow to a point where they can stand on their own, they can go and look for third-party funding themselves and get their own space,” she added.
Our Grandfather Story (OGS), a digital publisher that covers human and cultural stories across South-east Asia, has also partnered TSH.
Our Grandfather Story created a physical installation called the Shophouse B.A.R. (Books, Artefacts, Reflections) at Temasek Shophouse.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Instead of its usual digital content, OGS created a physical installation called the Shophouse B.A.R. (Books, Artefacts, Reflections) modelled after the humble provision shop.
Visitors can help themselves to some of Singapore’s beloved traditional snacks and browse a curated collection of books by local authors and short local films and documentaries, and leave a note reflecting their aspirations for Singapore.
Visitors can help themselves to some of Singapore’s beloved traditional snacks at the Shophouse B.A.R. (Books, Artefacts, Reflections).
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
An inclusive hub
The four shophouses TSH occupies were built at different times and have different designs. The conservation buildings were restored during the renovations.
The four shophouses TSH occupies were built at different times, and have different designs. The conservation buildings were restored during the renovations.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
To ensure that TSH is accessible to all, including the elderly and wheelchair users, the corridor that connects the four shophouses features gentle slopes instead of stairs, to accommodate the different floor levels of each shophouse.
TSH also features a retail shop, Martket by ABRY, which sells art by overlooked communities.
For instance, the store at TSH features an exclusive collaboration with deaf artist Canlaken, whose art is turned into merchandise that depicts the building’s flora-and-fauna motifs.
About 45 per cent of its staff are seniors, underprivileged women and people with disabilities.
A vintage cabinet by Art Furniture Depot, which once occupied part of the building, along a walkway at TSH.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
ABRY founder Adriana Lim Escano hopes that her retail shop can prove to other employers that it is possible to run a profitable business while hiring marginalised individuals in Singapore.
“I hope that other like-minded people (at TSH) will know what we do, so that together we can enable this vision of having employment that is inclusive, having a narrative that commercial stores can be run this way,” she said.
Visitors can look forward to concerts, festivals and seasonal markets, among other things, when TSH opens on Sept 29. More information is available at
Temasek Shophouse will fully reopen in January 2026 after construction of its outdoor spaces, Stamford Canal and Handy Green park, is completed.
