NUS Museum a comprehensive museum for teaching and research. It fo- cuses on Asian regional aart and culture, and seeks to create an enriching expeience through its collections and exhibitions. The Museum has over 7,000 artifacts and artworks divided across four collections and exhibi- tions. The Lee Kong Chian Collection consists of a wide representation of Chinese materials from ancient to contemporary art; the South and Southeast Asian Collection holds a range of workss from Indian classical sculptures o modern pieces; and the Ng Eng Teng Collection is a dona- tion from the late Singapore sculptor and Culltural Medallion recipient of over 1,000 artworks. A fourth collection, the Straits Chinese Collection, is located at NUS’ Baba House at 157 Neil Road. OPENING HOURS: 10am - 7.30 pm (Tues - Sat) 10am - 6 pm (Sun) Closed on Monday and Public Holidays University Cultural Centre 50 Kent Ridge Crescent National University of Singapore Singapore 119279 T: (65) 6516 8817 E: [email protected] NUS MUSEUM foreword Every year, over the past seven years, our road trip under the UM-NUS Joint Studio Program, together with our Malaysian counterpart, brings us new insights into working together as well as new understand- ing of the artifices and the towns our students study. The enterprise reaffirms the programs’ intent to re- trace our common legacies in built structures, and the diversities of social-cultural lives that they support. We are not misguided by grand illusion that this short sojourn of twenty odd students, spending a lit- tle over ten days in Ipoh will stem the tides of change. However, we do believe that learning about four selected shophouses in the Old and New town area of Ipoh, carefully contextualizing and documenting them, provides a firm basis to mobilize public interests: drawing their eyes to the under-looked. Our previ- ous undertakings in Muar (2011) and Taiping (2010) have borne positive receptions in resounding terms, sensitizing many local viewers in these towns towards the deeper meanings and stories of their respective built legacies. I would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following: Prof Yahaya Ahmed and Mr Lim Take Bane (Universiti Malaya); Mr Law Siak Hong (Perak Heritage Society); my colleagues, Mr Roland S Flores and Ho Weng Hin, and our visiting student-mentor Huang Yuzhe. Finally, to the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation for generously funding this joint UM-NUS Joint Studio and Mr Ahmad Mashadi of NUS Museum for hosting the exhibition of the students’ works. This seventhcycle of the UMNUS Joint Studio on Heritage Studies takes us to the famed northerntin min- ing town of Ipoh. Its townsfolk have generously shared their personal storiesof the town and invited us into their homes and buildings to record them. We are grateful to the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation for their support of our effort tohighlight the priceless value of the urban built heritage of Malaysia. We thank themany individuals who rendered their time and assistance in our endeavour. We also thank UMNUS faculty members A/P Dr Yahaya Ahmad, Mr Lim Take Bane, Nur Mazidah Che Ghani, Mr Roland Sharpe Flores, Mr Ho Weng Hin and the participating students for realizing this exhibition. NUS Museum is pleased to collaborate with NUS Department of Architecture in presenting this exhibition. The UMNUS Joint Studio Programme started in 2005 and the first exhibition entitled ‘Re:Claiming Heritage’ was presented at NUS Museum in 2009. This was followed by ‘Tracing Tap- ing’ (2010) and ‘Narrating Muar’ (2011). This year, the study focuses on shophouses in the old and new towns of Ipoh. Investigations into the architecture of the shophouse and its evolving contexts, its adaptive uses over time, its mean- ings to contemporary societies that sustain them, and the implications to and challenges of conser- vation, resonate with the research and programming interests of NUS Baba House. Our congratulations to the students and teaching staff of the two participating universities. We would also like to record our thanks to Dr Wong Yunn Chii, Head, NUS Department of Architecture for inviting NUS Museum to participate in this programme and for his support of various collabora- tive and learning initiatives between his department and the Museum. Assoc. Prof. (Dr) Wong Yunn Chii Head of Department of Architecture National University of Singapore Associate Professor Ar. Saari Omar Acting Head, Department of Architecture Faculty of Built Environment University of Malaya Ahmad Mashadi Head of NUS Museum National University of Singapore contributors: (national university of singapore) alvin, huiling, wilson, caryn, joel, shaunice, huang, serene, daniel t, daniel l. (university of malaya) kirin, beego, huda, nikki, sahaq, toffee, zuhair, kristen, hazim, ali. (tutors) roland sharpe flores, ho weng hin, lim take bane, yahaya ahmad, nur mazidah che ghani. SPACES FAMILIAR UNTOLD STORIES encounterswithipoh NUS MUSEUM