HARP FAQ Added

The Campaign to Save 23 Amber Road was initiated by HARP, the Historic Architecture Rescue Plan.

We’ve added a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on HARP and its activities which can be viewed here.

To join HARP, send an email to harp_rescue@yahoo.com

Location of 23 Amber Road Posted

You can view the location of 23 Amber Road on Streetdirectory.

23 Amber Road can also be found on Google Maps.

It has also been posted as a topic on Google Earth Community under the section Earth: Earth Browsing.

Campaign Receives Press Coverage in New Paper

The New Paper has coverage today of the campaign to save 23 Amber Road!

The article is entitled “Save this “Butterfly” from Extinction” by Ng Tze Yong - I wish we had thought of that title...

Here’s an extract:

“This magnificent house has become a part of every Katongite. But it’s not just about Katong. It’s about Singpaore. - Long-time Katong resident Irene Low”

Unfortunately, the article is only available in the printed edition of the New Paper, not the Electric version on the web.

Keep the ball rolling, this is a building worth saving!

Save 23 Amber Road Website Launched

The Save 23 Amber Road website was launched today.

The URL of the website is www.irenelow.com

The website contains information about the house, its architect, photos of the building and the surrounding area, as well as a weblog. We also provide information on what you can do to try to save this building.

Visit the website regularly for updates on the campaign to save this historic building.

Save 23 Amber Road

23 Amber Road is a historic house in Singapore in the Katong area of Singapore.

Also known as the Cashin Mansion or "Butterfly House", it was built in 1912 by Regent Alfred John Bidwell. It is the only residential building in Singapore designed by Bidwell.

Bidwell was also the architect of a number of other historic buildings in Singapore, including the Victoria Memorial Hall, Raffles Hotel, Teutonia Club (Goodwood Park Hotel), Stamford House, the Chased-El Synagogue and the early extensions of the Singapore Cricket Club.

The unique design of the Cashin mansion is its shape - a butterfly, or suntrap, or crescent shape, precisely to capture sunlight and sea breeze. The building was originally built by the seashore, with its open verandahs and rooms placed along the two arms of the building to maximise light and air. The only other two-storey crescent-shaped building is the former St Joseph's Institution, now the Singapore Art Museum.

Sadly, it is scheduled for demolition as of December 2006 to be replaced by a block of flats.

We feel strongly that this mansion is of immense architectural value, worthy of saving for posterity.

Visit www.irenelow.com for more information and to join the campaign to save this beautiful building!