ASA JOURNAL Vol.2 | 2018

Reflections on the Shophouse Facades Development of the
Andaman Sea - Malay Peninsula Port Towns
Pat Wongpradit, Ph.D. Candidate
Vernacular Architecture Programme, Faculty of Architecture, Silpakorn University, BKK, Thailand / pa_patm@hotmail.com
Thesis Advisor: Kreangkrai Kirdsiri, Ph.D.
Lecturer, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Silpakorn University / arch.su.kreangkrai@gmail.com
Abstract
This study investigates the shophouse facades development of various typologies from the 18th to the 20th century
focusing on 4 port towns on the Andaman Sea-Malay Peninsula: Kantan, Phuket and Takuapa in Thailand; and Penang in
Malaysia. The study is carried out by researching documents along with site surveys and measurements in order to examine
physical characteristics and styles of the areas. The findings indicate that the evolution of shophouse façades can be sequentially
categorised into seven styles which are: 1) The 1st Localized Style; 2) The 2nd Localized Style; 3) The 1st Eclectic Style;
4) The 2nd Eclectic Style; 5) The 3rd Eclectic Style; 6) Art Deco Style; and 7) Early Modern Style.
Keywords: Shophouse Facade I Port town I Andaman Sea-Malay Peninsula
Background
Southeast Asia is renowned as a location along the
maritime trade route from India to China for centuries. Western
countries perceive this region as “Indo China” spanning from
the Coromandel Sea in India to the Andaman Sea in Southeast
Asia and Strait of Malacca in the Malay Peninsula where it is
a changing point of monsoon winds. This area is an anchorage
point along the monsoon area and communities were established
for local trading. The trading began from the interchange
of local goods with imports that were used for ceremonies or
to be collected as family treasures. This trading system created
centrality which comprises of manufacturers, exporters and
sellers. Some areas that were in a good location developed as
an “Entrepot” or Port towns and Emporiums (Thida. 2011:
432).
The significant port towns on the Southern Peninsula
of Thailand and Malay Peninsula are Malacca, Singapore,
Penang, Pattani, Songkhla, Kelantan, Thalang, Takuapa and
others. These seaports are connected through the “Peninsula
Shipping Route” along with other types of transportation including
rafts, horse carts, horses, elephants and other animals
used as vehicles. Wheatly Paul compiled 11 routes that were
widely used from the past until present time such as the Kra
Isthmus, the Takuapa River, the Trang River, Kedah-Pattani,
Kelanran-Melaka and others (Wheatly. 1961). These routes
reflect the development of seaports in both upper and lower
parts of the peninsula related to successive trading.
Apart from geographical factors that influenced the
position of the port towns, abundant resources made the
location of the southern peninsula and the Malay Peninsula a
fascinating destination for traders along the maritime route.
Chinese, Siamese and Europeans such as Portuguese, Hollandic
and British continued to have influences on the area. This was
the period that cultures were inherited and cultural evidences
were manifested. These relationships can be seen in “Shophouse
architecture” in several port towns. Consequently, in
the study of shophouses, it is necessary to mention of two
principal groups that are influential in the area of southern
peninsula and the Malay Peninsula.
Literature review
According to Paul Oliver’s Encyclopedia of Vernacular
Architecture, it is considered that the creation of “Shophouse”
was the result of in the need of functions (Paul Oliver, 1998:
21). It is in agreement with Julian Davison’s explanation stating
that the shophouse is a kind of architecture which accommodates
both commercial and residential purposes in one building.
Shophouses are generally found along streets as it is convenient
To explain and understand the shophouse facade development
in western port towns along the Andaman Sea, it
is crucial to study relationships between those port towns and
Penang, where it is the main trading station in the Strait Settlement
for maritime merchants to run a business in the
Malay Peninsula.
Therefore, “Reflections on the Shophouse Facades
Development of the Andaman Sea-Malay Peninsula Port
Towns” aims to study shophouses in the historic urban landscape
of port towns which are: Takua Pa (Phangnga province),
Thalang (Phuket province) and Kelantan (Trang province) in
the Andaman Sea of Thailand; and George Town (Penang) in
Malay Peninsula. The research question is: What is the develfor
trading activities. The owners run a business on the ground
floor and live in the back side and on the first floor of shophouse.
Regarding the form and facade of shophouses, Julian
Davison and Tan Yeow Wooi both have a general agreement
on the definition of the shophouse as a building that is two or
three stories high. Shophouses also have narrow but long form.
The ground floor façade is recessed from the street edge while
the façade on the upper floor projects out towards the road
line and covers the pavement below. This upper wall transfers
weight to the columns. In each block, there are shared party
walls between shophouses and their neighbors on either side.
Normally shophouses are built continuously along the road
therefore the area in front of the buildings can be used as a
covered walkway or so called “Five-foot way” which provides
pedestrians shade from the sun and rain. The structure and
general materials in shophouse are mainly from timber and
masonry.
The shophouse is a unique building type which was the
outcome of the culture of Chinese people who migrated from
China. According to the Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture
(Paul Oliver. 1998: 657), the shophouse was initially
built under Chinese influence in the area of the Malay Peninsula
and continuously developed in its identity. This was
particularly the case for the port towns that became prosperous
from settlement as commercial coast stations, trading
stations, and sources of consumer goods needed for travel.
The role of the Commonwealth of England (British East India
Company) in Southeast Asia had influences through the Straits
Settlements in 1862 which consisted of Penang, Singapore and
Malacca. The capital of the trading stations was George Town
in Penang. Consequently, prosperity increased in port towns
in the Malay Peninsula. The establishment of shophouses along
with urban development started since the 18th century.
In the meantime, port towns in the Southern Peninsula
of Thailand grew and developed concurrently and also
connected through marine trading as can be seen from shophouses
in port towns such as Pattani, Songkla, Nakhorn Si
Thammarat, Kelantan Phuket and Takua Pa. A considerable
amount of relevant literature has been published. Wasan
Cheewasat indicated that Chinese architecture had an influence
on shophouses in Pattani. His holistic study revealed a development
of architectural style through historical aspects
(Wasan, 1996). A study of Sino-Portuguese architecture in
Nakorn Si Thammarat province written by Udom Nuthong
and Mano Pisootrattananon (2000) focused on the architecture
study through a historical point of view together with giving
case studies for analyses. The existing literature on the old
community of Songkhla Province focuses particularly on local
history, culture and urban physical characteristics. Regarding
shophouse study in architectural detail, Supawadee Chuapram
revealed that shophouses in Songkla old town has explicit
images of Chinese culture from their lifestyle to the architecture.
It is demonstrated through the evolution of shophouses
which blended Chinese-Thai, Chinese-Western and modern
styles (Supawadee, 2003). The research conducted by Dhanaraj
Thavaroj explored ways in which shophouses were established
in the old commercial districts of Eastern seaports on Thailand’s
Southern peninsula. The study highlighted that important
factors of shophouse creation were geographic features
and Chinese immigration. The development of the shophouse
was represented in the Traditional Chinese style, the Chinese-Vernacular
Thai style and Chinese-European style
(Dhanaraj, 2004).
Literature review clearly resulted in a large amount of available
literature on the architectural study of shophouses in Eastern
port towns in Southern Peninsula of Thailand. Together these
studies provided important insights into the explanation of
the shophouse development. However, there has been no reliable
evidence of architectural knowledge of shophouse in
Eastern port towns in Southern Peninsula of Thailand.
Research questions
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วารสารสถาปัตยกรรมของสมาคมสถาปนิกสยาม
ในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์ Issue 02 / 2018
Academic Journal of The Association of Siamese Architects
under the Royal Patronage
วารสารสถาปัตยกรรมของสมาคมสถาปนิกสยาม
ในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์ Issue 02 / 2018
Academic Journal of The Association of Siamese Architects
under the Royal Patronage