Canadian International School (former Tanjong Katong Girls' School): A nautical inspired building from 1953

The former premises of the Tanjong Katong Girls' School is now home to the Canadian International School, and the building has a nautical-inspired design and looks like a ship.

The 250,000 sq ft Tanjong Katong Road premises was built in 1953 and there were five buildings there.

The four-storey building, where the school hall is located, is built in the modern architecture style and was gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2003.

Original Clay-Tile Roof

Ms Yeo Su Fen, a senior architect with the Urban Redevelopment Authority, says the combination of the clay-tile roof and the modern, portal frame structure of the school hall is "a hybrid between the old and the new".

"Clay-tile roofs represent a traditional type of architecture. Nowadays, you see mostly concrete or metal roofs."

Reinforced Concrete Portal Frame

Ms Yeo says the modular, portal frame - which forms the angular 7-metre high structure of the school hall - reflects a "modern kind of construction" and is one of the early 1950s prototypes of reinforced concrete construction.

Higher structures, bigger windows, better ventilation

Because of its strength, the reinforced concrete allows for bigger and higher structures, as well as bigger windows.

Such elements provide better ventilation - a practical need as the school hall was used for several activities and there was no air-conditioning then.

Ms Yeo says: "The portal frame also enables a large area to be enclosed using as little building material as possible, which helps keep construction costs low."

Nautical Porthole Windows with Glass Louvres

At the stairwell leading up to the school hall are porthole windows, which have original glass louvres restored by the Canadian International School.

Porthole windows are commonly found on ships.

Ms Yeo says the design is rooted in modern architecture and takes inspiration from the ship, which was seen as the "ideal machine" during the second Industrial Revolution, because "it is a combination of aesthetics and functionality".

Nautical Inspired Grilles

The nautical inspiration doesn't end there. The cast iron window grilles within the compound were also designed with curvy grille designs - a nod to ocean waves.

This article first appeared on The Straits Times in 2016.