5-Storey Office Building with Conserved Shophouse at Upper Circular Road Conservation Area

No. 44 North Canal Road is a 4-storey conserved intermediate shophouse, facing Hong Lim Park. The shophouse is to be retained as an office building with a 5-storey rear extension to be added for a larger and more efficient office floor plate. OWAA has successfully reconfigured the services and staircase and added a new lift shaft, to achieve an efficient and regular internal building layout.

This early modern shophouse has a striking façade comprising of vertical concrete fins that is unique to itself in the entire street block along North Canal Road.

The façade vertical composition continues up to the rear extension to tie up the new rear façade with the conserved facade.

By playing with the fin density, the facade allows views out of the lower office floors while also provide screening to the M&E floor on the rooftop, giving the building a coherent façade appearance.