Temasek Shophouse unveils new outdoor community space in Orchard Road opening on March 14

SINGAPORE – Come March 14, shoppers in the Orchard Road area will be able to enjoy a green oasis in the form of a new outdoor community space outside the newly revamped Temasek Shophouse.

The new outdoor community space – roughly the size of seven basketball courts, or 3,000 sq m – has been fitted with features to not only support local biodiversity, but also act as a gathering space.

New features include a community farm, a garden terrace with cooling features and shaded seating areas. Members of the public can enjoy these amenities for free.

These spaces can be used to host events such as outdoor cinema screenings, performances and public lectures, said Ms Chum Jia Xin, studio director of design studio Henning Larsen. The firm collaborated with Temasek Shophouse to create the outdoor space with the intention of integrating nature into the daily experience of the community.

“Quality outdoor spaces in Singapore are something much needed,” said Ms Yvonne Tay, chief executive of Temasek Shophouse, during a media preview of the space on March 12. “A space that is thoughtfully designed, not just to attract the birds and bees and butterflies, but also to attract humans to coexist side by side with nature.”

To encourage people to spend time in the outdoor spaces, shelters and cooling systems were installed to improve thermal comfort, she added.

The opening of the outdoor community space marks the completion of a four-year-long renovation of Temasek Shophouse, which now houses facilities such as event venues, co-working spaces and food and beverage outlets.

It first underwent renovation in 2023 and reopened in September 2025. Originally occupying just one heritage shophouse, the social impact hub’s premises have been expanded to four interconnected units.

Including outdoor spaces, Temasek Shophouse now spans 9,200 sq m, or the equivalent of 22 basketball courts.

The revamped space has a range of sustainability features, such as solar panels, hybrid cooling systems, energy-efficient lighting and rainwater harvesting features.

These additions not only increase energy efficiency, but also improve the comfort of visitors. For instance, the hybrid cooling system, along with ceiling fans and carbon dioxide sensors, adjusts airflow and cooling according to occupancy and indoor air quality.

In the outdoor areas, “bug hotels” – man-made shelters for insects such as bees – and roosting structures for birds were incorporated to help wildlife flourish.

These structures were constructed using recycled materials such as old steel frames and roof tiles that were replaced during Temasek Shophouse’s renovation.

Mature trees already present on site, such as angsana and yellow flame, were preserved, and native plants were added throughout the space.

“The outdoor space and conserved shophouse are designed to support strong community interaction, strengthen the relationship with nature and improve energy efficiency,” said Ms Naree Phinyawatana, director of environmental design consultancy Atelier Ten, which worked on Temasek Shophouse’s sustainability framework.

“Temasek Shophouse presented an opportunity to explore how heritage spaces can contribute meaningfully to a regenerative urban future,” said Henning Larsen’s Ms Chum, noting that these projects demonstrate how cities can evolve responsibly. 

Since Temasek Shophouse’s reopening, it has held sustainability events such as the Green House Festival 2025 and Farmers Market. “With enhanced and bigger space, we can actually now provide the depth and breadth of events that could never take place before,” said Ms Tay, the Temasek Shophouse CEO.

Members of the public can look forward to sustainability events and educational workshops, which Temasek Shophouse hopes to hold, she added.