Mosque Street, New Bridge Road and Upper Cross Stree

During 1930s, several four-storeys shophouses were built along Mosque Street, New Bridge Road and Upper Cross Street. They stood out not only because of their unusual design, but also because shophouses around the area were usually of two or three-storeys. These buildings were constructed in a style known as Art-Deco, which originated from Europe, probably during the first couple of decades of the twentith century. I heard that this style of design was based on mathematical geometric shapes, where designers and artists were inspired by the many cultures, due to extensive travels. Back then, these buildings were used as the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) quarters for customs workers. The SIT was set up by the British in the 1920s to review the living conditions of Singapore.