Unlike many other pre-war shophouse areas that have been transformed to satisfy commercial excitement, Niven Road is the complete opposite. Having an architecturally vibrant yet peaceful atmosphere, shophouses located here are now home to offices, designer studios as well as residential apartments. Walk down the streets and you will be greeted with a calm atmosphere that allows you to rein in the beautiful elements of each building.
Sitting at the junction of Wilkie Road and Niven Road is this dreamy three-storey condominium, Sophia Flats. Dressed in pastel yellow, this building is a freehold terrace house with 19 residential units that stands out ironically in its diminutiveness against the bustling shopping malls nearby.
Completed in the 1930s, this well-preserved building is inspired by colonial buildings but built with Singapore’s tropical weather in mind. On the surface, Sophia Flats is decked with classical embellishments and has large overhangs to shelter it from the sun and rain. Its ground floor is carefully recessed, providing a continuous five-foot pedestrian walkway within its sheltered columns. Also fun fact, Frank Benjamin, the founder of FJ Benjamin Holdings, lived here after World War II. He set up his first office here back in 1959.
If you’re ever in the area, walk down the road and admire the Sophia Flats, a true symbol of understated elegance.