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A city sized Museum

It is probably not wrong to think Singapore as a city sized museum. It is a modernist ideologist testbed. When you travel through the city you would find modernist building of different age and style. It sits comfortable the two storey high parlour at Keong Saik Road and Bugis. If the day is gloomy, that place feels like Hong Kong

 

Yum Cha Building (The Hives)

Even though Singapore is relatively small in its size, there are many spectacular architecture in this place. The first one I would like to introduced is the Yum Cha building, that name was a sarcastic response from the locals since the exterior looks like Yum Cha containers been stacked on top of each other. The formal name is the Hives (Nanyang Technological University) The exterior is in many convex shapes and the interior continues this language. From within, even the balustrade follows the curve and it is quite special because it is heavily vegetated. In Singapore, planter box and lush greeneries are part of the architecture, they are not something secondary to it. I am curious about the materiality so I started to feel the building with my own hands. The exterior material feels like a special kind of cement, and the interior is mostly exposed concrete.


My requited love to Koolhaas  (The Interlace)

The Interlace is known both locally and internationally because it was designed by Rem Koolhaas's firm the OMA. I was really forward to visit this place because I am a big fan of Koolhaas. As its name suggested, the residential blocks are crossed over and on top of each other. I was wondering if the orientation is a response to the solar access and not just an aesthetic response. My love is requited because I am stopped by the building guard.

 

BIG's Green Oasis - Capita Spring

I met a girl who still studies at uni when I went to the Henderson Waves and we started casual conversation. By the end of the day, she asked her friend who studies architecture to recommend a few good architecture in Singapore for me. On the list, there is the Capita Spring. And to my surprise, it is actually designed by BIG and Carlo Ratti Associati. A lot things in Singapore is free. On New year eve, I attended a free concert in the Esplanade Theatre. What I am trying to say is that Level 17 (Green Oasis) and Level 51 (Sky Garden) in Capita Spring is open to the public for free. It has such as a spectacular view which overlooks the entire city. It makes one wonder how lucky the citizen of Singapore is. 

BIG's work to me is heavily digitized and is often driven by parametric design. But for this particular building, it is not so parametric. It is a play with the void. Curved bridges / walkways intertwine with each other when you look at it from above, covered in lush greeneries.  Once again, landscape is not something secondary to Singaporean building, it is part of it. 


Veiled in Mist and covered in lush greeneries (The Garden by the Bay)

This place is famous for the wide range categories of botanic species it cultivates. I am more so interested in the architectural expression. It is essentially a very organic form supported by cables and ties, this is nothing new in the contemporary architectural field, however, I am still captivated by the light that shines through the dome. The light becomes translucent after it was filtered through the dome, just like a forest in a mist.  

 
 
 
Incomplete Journey - The Supertree
The super tree has two part. The Skyway is 22m and the observatory is 50m. It somehow relates me to the Central Park in our Chippendale. I mean, they are both vertical gardens, of course, the Supertree is a more splendid version of the Central Park. It is a nice pathway to meandering through, however, I don’t have the courage for that. I stayed in the air for 10 minutes and then I run away.  






 

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