SINGAPORE, Oct 18 — The historic House of Tan Yeok Nee — also known variously as Tan Yeok Nee House, Tan Yeok Nee Mansion, or 陳旭年宅 — the last of Singapore’s Four Grand Mansions built by Teochew tycoons in the 1800s, will reopen to the public on November 1 after nearly four years of restoration.

Located opposite The Istana along Penang Road, the mansion has been reimagined as a lifestyle and cultural hub featuring galleries, fine dining and guided heritage tours, Singapore daily The Straits Times reported.

The restoration was led by the Karim Family Foundation – the philanthropic arm of the Indonesian-Malaysian Karim family, who have strong business links in Johor’s palm oil and property sectors.

Declared a national monument in 1974, the mansion reportedly cost more than S$100 million including restoration.

Foundation director Cindy Karim, who has lived in Singapore since 1998, said her family was “very excited to make a bid for it” when the property was listed for sale in 2021.

“We wanted to authentically restore the house to just as it was in the 1800s, while also envisioning the space to be accessible for the public,” she was quoted as saying.

The Karim family worked with DP Architects and conservation expert Associate Professor Yeo Kang Shua to return the building to its original grandeur.

They even flew in 30 artisans from Chaozhou, China, to recreate intricate carvings, gold woodwork and roof mosaics typical of traditional Teochew design.

The reopening will include a Heritage Gallery featuring works by Singaporean artist Tan Ngiap Heng, the great-great-grandson of the mansion’s original owner, Tan Yeok Nee.

The 36-seat fine-dining restaurant Loca Niru, helmed by Japanese chef Shusuke Kubota, will open on November 6.

Built between 1882 and 1885, the mansion reflects Tan Yeok Nee’s Teochew roots and his success in the pepper and gambier trade in Johor, Malaysia.

Over the decades, the building has served in many diverse forms – as a school, church, and later as a campus for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

The restoration underscores enduring cultural ties between Singapore, Malaysia and the wider Teochew diaspora.