Asia

[Visited: December 2023]

We walk from the City Hall towards the east, on the streets, through a mall and subway station, to arrive at the shore of Marina Bay. On our right, demolition works are underway. It is easy to imagine that in the near future, new highrise buildings will be developed here. Will it look like the skyline we see on the other side of the bay? Tall, glitzy buildings shine in the tropical sun, reflected in the green water. We walk the Helix Bridge, a connection with the reclaimed land of Marina Bay for pedestrians and cyclists. I have been to Marina Bay several times before: the south side, and the Gardens by the Bay. This time, we will focus on the north side. From the bridge, we stop several times to enjoy the views ahead. Modern architecture, the unique Marina Bay Sands building with its tree towers connected by a huge, rounded roof - there is plenty to see.
The most remarkable building, however, is the lotus flower-shaped white building right at the tip of the land. This will be our first stop: it houses the ArtScience Museum. Before even entering, we stop at the pond in front of it. A circular mirror has been placed here, reflecting the surrounding area and part of the sky. Seen from below, the building towers high above us, with huge white fingers stretching out in various directions. We enter the glassy lobby, and are surprised to find that we have to go down. We buy our tickets, for only one exhibition as suggested by the employee; Future World: Where Art Meets Science. We enter a dark room, and then step into a room with black walls on which bright colours are projected. They are moving: they are digital butterflies, there is a waterfall, flowing - also digital. There is other art projected on the wall. Then, we realize that touching the walls makes the butterflies and the water react. In the other rooms, we see a huge wall on which sea creatures float. Visitors can colour a paper, scan it - and release it live on the wall. The fish turn and twist, swim back and forth. There is a room where we can walk on coloured bars hanging from the ceiling, and where a huge digital whale swims on the wall. Here, we can submit planes and birds. It is a remarkable exhibition in a remarkable building.
From the ArtScience Museum, we walk to the nearby Marina Bay Sands building. We buy our ticket, stand in line, and then the elevator takes us to the observation deck on the highest floor in a matter of seconds. We walk the rounded northern part of the deck, and enjoy the views over Marina Bay and the city. A little further, we see the Gardens by the Bay, and beyond, the sea with a large number of container ships anchored. Planes in their final approach to Changi International Airport. Unfortunately, the observation deck is rather small - I had hoped to be able to walk the entire length of it, and see the infinity pool. For this, you have to be a resident though. We make our way down, and walk to the Gardens by the Bay for a different experience. We take our time to walk the Skyway, from where we have more good views over the area, dwarfed now by the Marina Bay Sands building. Then, it is time to go. We take a taxi straight to Katong, a completely different part of this incredibly varied city.

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Marina Bay (Singapore)

Marina Bay > Singapore > Asia

[Visited: December 2023]

Around the World in 80 Clicks

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