The Google Shophouse

From doodles that grab your attention whenever the occasion calls for one to transporting you to some street in some far flung of the world from your armchair, Google seems to come up with some of the coolest ideas. And, what’s even cooler is some of Google’s latest initiatives are now on show in a shophouse in Singapore.

The Google Shophouse at 63 Spottiswoode Park Road.

The so-named Google Shophouse, set up in the SANA Gallery – a conservation shophouse at 63 Spottiswoode Park Road, offers SG50 weary Singaporeans with an alternative celebration over two weekends, this (1 to 2 August) and the especially long “Jubilee Weekend” (7 to 10 August). As a showcase that has us look at new ways to explore our history and heritage through technology, the choice of the venue, so says Google, was motivated by shophouses being seen as an enduring symbol of Singapore’s heritage and history.

The gateway into a Google world.

Among the cool technologies that visitors to the Google Shophouse will get to immerse themselves in are the Singapore Time Walk, the Cultural Institute Initiatives and its now well-used Google Maps Street View technology. The latter, which sees 40 new Singapore locations being published on Google Maps, including some off the beaten track places such as Pulau Ubin and the MacRitchie Forest, will also allow visitors with the opportunity to take a look at some of the technologies employed such as the Google Trekker and Trolley.

The man behind the Google Trekker and the off-the-beaten-track street views of Singapore, speaking to Minister Lawrence Wong.

Minister Lawrence Wong trying on the Google Trekker.

Street View of Pulau Ubin on display.

The Singapore Time Walk App allows users to take a walk back in time around Singapore’s landmarks.

The Cultural Institute Initiative is a collaboration with the National Heritage Board to bring a collection of cultural objects to the Google Cultural Institute.

Besides the chance to explore Singapore’s past and present, visitors will also get to see some of the future on show – in the Coding Camp for students and the Doodle for Google Gallery. Coding camps are being organised in collaboration with Google’s partners at the Google office over the course of the year to allow them to have a feel for the technology and tools that will power the future.

The Google Shophouse will also see another initiative, the Coding Camp for students on show.

We also see how the young imagine the future in the Doodle for Google gallery – the doodles of 25 finalists, who have been asked to imagine “Singapore: The next 50 years” is on display at the shophouse. The winning entry, by 8 year old Moh Journ Haydn of Beacon Primary School, will be seen on Google Singapore’s homepage on independent Singapore’s 50th birthday , 9 August 2015, for 24 hours. More information on Google Shophouse can be found at Google Shophouse.