“Placemaking gives a sense of identity and connects a community,” says Chew Kok Yong, co-founder of Afternaut. “We rethink the use of old spaces. At the end of the day, it’s about value creation too.”One of the first things Afternaut did was to help rebrand Meir Collective “as a platform for other like-minded people to collaborate” in its placemaking efforts in Geylang, says Chew, also 34.
The other shophouses along the same row as 483-487 Geylang Road include motorcycle dealer CSTK Pte Ltd, Catalyst Gym, Chong Tuck Tong Chinese Temple and Terra & Ember ceramic pottery studio Adjacent to 483 is the shophouse at 481 Geylang Road, occupied by motorcycle dealer CSTK, which has been there since 1967. At 479 is Catalyst Gym on the ground floor, with a cat boarding and daycare centre above. Chong Tuck Tong Chinese Temple sits in the middle of the row at 477 Geylang Road. Other businesses occupying the row of shophouses include boutique pottery studio Terra & Ember at 473 and Ah Beng Aquarium at 471.
The shophouse block at 465 and 467 Geylang Road wasn’t slated for conservation. However, Sebestian and Chew felt it was essential to retain the façade. "It was a challenge to conserve it," says Sebestian. "We had to make many checks to make sure that the structure can be retained." This was before the interiors could be gutted and retrofitted.
Just down the lane at Lorong, 25 Geylang is the Singapore Wine & Spirit Merchants’ Association building. “It could one day be converted into an F&B concept like Chye Seng Huat on Tyrwhitt Road,” says Sebestian. “It’s not conserved and has a huge redevelopment potential.” Shophouses were built in the 1840s to 1960s, and they were originally designed as a place of business on the first level, with dwelling units for the family on the upper floors. “We want to restore the original shophouse use of the past,” says Sebestian. However, instead of residential apartments, he is bringing in co-living instead.