8 Heeren Street
Restored Dutch-era shophuse, Malacca
Your base for exploring this sight is the historic city of Malacca, in Malaysia. For travel information about Malacca, go to Malacca Travel Guide. To prepare yourself for a trip to Malaysia, read the AsiaExplorers Malaysia Travel Guide. Looking for budget accommodation in Malacca? You can find cheap clean rooms using our Malacca Budget Accommodation Guide
8 Heeren Street is a restoration/conservation project mooted by Badan Warisan Malaysia, a non-governmental organisation working to preserve the heritage of Malaysia. It represents an excellent case study of how a two-storey building from the mid-late 18th century can be
8 Heeren Street represents a typical early shophouse and humble residential house of Malacca between the mid 17th to the late 19th century. This type of building is unique to Malacca - no other town in Malaysia is as old to showcase anything similar. Also, no other town has a preceding Portuguese style to develop from.
Blinds at 8 Heeren Street.
The shophouse is an important element in the study of how a streetscapes evolved. 8 Heeren Street illustrates the emergence in Malacca of urban dwellings of more permanent material to replace the earlier structures of timber and thatch. It also demonstrate how a building conforms to planning regulations that were in place during the Dutch administration, which dictated the type of material to be used. Building lines, foundations, party walls, fenestrations and even the size of the bricks all have to follow strictly controlled standards.
The early shophouses serve not only as shop, but also home, stable and animal yard, all at the same time. Like a snapshot, 8 Heeren Street therefore enables visitors to glimpse into the social environment of its period. The conservation of 8 Heeren Street is an example of the effort taken to stem the demise and loss of such historical structures in Malacca's heritage.
Opening Hours
11:00am to 4:00pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Admission free.
Blinds at 8 Heeren Street.
Restored staircase at 8 Heeren Street.
View of the upper floor.
Members of AsiaExplorers on a trip to 8 Heeren Street.
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