Singapore - An Amazing City with a
New Jewel in its Crown
Text & Photos – Pippy McCurdy
Steeped in colonial history Singapore is a city on the rise
filled with youth and vitality; a city coloured by an array of cultures; a city
which still respects its origins but is more than a little excited about the
future!
Recently, on the harbour edge of the city, an amazing vision
has been unfolding. In the Gardens by the Bay architecture meets ecology;
sculpture meets nature; art meets excitement. Truly my predominant thought as I
wandered through the Gardens was that here was an architectural vision which
had somehow slipped through the hands of the regulators, the cost cutters and
the pragmatists. Here the original dream has managed to emerge intact.
To reach the Gardens, make your way to the edge of the
Singapore River which flows gently through the city and down to the coast. Follow
the river to Marina Bay where you will find the Gardens, - your final
destination. These gardens will supersede any preconceived expectations you
might have had; – it might be hard to believe but quite literally, your final
destination is like nothing you will have ever seen before!
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Whether you choose to
explore Chinatown, Little India, Bugis Junction, the more upmarket Orchard Road, or the colonial past you will be
thrilled by what you discover. The walk towards the Bay along the river bank is
an event in itself and hour by hour, day by day, you never know what you will
come across.
3.
Part of the fascination of Singapore is that seamless
intertwining of both colonial and Asian heritage. The essence of Singapore is
in its diverse meeting of British, Malaysian, Indian and Chinese lifestyles. Day
and night, Singapore hums. Always busy. Shopping, praying, eating, working, - a
24 hour city in every sense of the word.
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The West bank is a
fascinating series of layers, from tall skyscrapers, to shophouses with
frontages almost on the riverbank, leaving just enough room for shady awnings
where you can sit to eat drink and relax
– and maybe catch a gentle river breeze.
6.
If there is one thing that stands out about Singapore it is
that this city understands and expresses itself in colour. Unlike other cities,
Singapore is not confined by a palette of white black and concrete grey. The vibrancy of the street lanterns, the
umbrellas and the parasols, the rich golds of the tea urns at the shop fronts,
the decorative patterns of the buildings and the temples, the multi-colours of
the street lanterns, all combine to make Singapore come alive Whether it is the
flowers, the buildings, the markets or the streetscape, all are a visual celebration.
7.
But even all of this will not prepare you for the Gardens. As you near Marina Bay you will reach a
beautiful bridge, sheathed in coils of reflective stainless steel tubing.
Walking through the double helix - a transparent tunnel of light and
reflection, - is an event in itself and a fitting arrival to the Bay.
8.
To the left the Singapore Flyer - currently the world’s
tallest wheel, - reaches up to an
amazing 42 stories in height. To the right is Marina Bay Sands -a striking
example of symbolic architecture dominating the view . With its triple towers
it is tall and imposing, - only opened eighteen months yet already very much an
icon.
The astonishing
capping to these towers is the elongated liner stretching between the three
pillars like a huge river barge washed up by the forces of a giant tsunami. By taking architectural metaphor to the extreme,
the architects of Marina Bay Sands have made an astonishing statement. This has
already become one of the most photographed buildings of the twenty-first century.
9.
And so at last to the park of all parks – the Gardens By the
Bay; - a large outdoor park celebrating the plantings and garden styles of the
world, with two glazed indoor pavilions and an outdoor elevated promenade. But the Gardens By The Bay are so much more
than this. Truly, Singapore now has a
new jewel in its crown. Only opened in 2011, already Singaporeans pour into
this 101 hectare park to enjoy the lush coolness, the stunning waterfall, the scintillating
tree top walk. This is already the number one destination in a city of destinations.
The smaller of the two glazed pavilions is
the Flower Dome. Plantings from different countries designate the
regions of this dome, and whether your preference is succulents, exotic
species, or local varieties, you will find this barrage of colour a pleasure to
stroll through. This pavilion is hugely
popular amongst Singaporeans and is used as a backdrop for photo shoots and
wedding parties, as well as by those who come to admire the ever changing
floral displays.
10.
Called a cool dry climate, the Flower Dome sits at a very
comfortable and pleasant 23 – 25 degrees. (A hot summer’s day where I come
from.) Vivid and varied, it is difficult to believe that it has only been open
a year. This pavilion will only benefit from its years of maturity when plants flourish
and intermingle as they reach skyward.
Time to move on. Because as much as you may have enjoyed the
gentle pleasures of the Flower Dome, the second glassed pavilion – the Cloud
Forest – is breath-taking. Step inside to be met by a swirling mist created as
a towering waterfall drops to a pool in front of you.
This spectacular entrance is transfixing. The towering waterfall
- all 35 metres of it – cascades down from the top of a man-made mountain cloaked
in the plants of a high tropical mountain forest.
A processional path leads you on into this pavilion, and up
by lift through the interior of the mountain. Emerge near the top but now
behind the waterfall where you can step out onto a viewing platform and look
down on those entering below.
11.
Cloaked in greenery this mountain inside a bio- dome is awe
inspiring. Yet when you reach the top
via the heart of the mountain you have only touched on the experience, because
now you are able to wend your way down from the heights, on walkways which
snake in and out of the mountain, or suspend breathtakingly over the visitors
and landscapes below.
12.
Looking down over pools and tree ferns or out beyond the
dome to the port and the ships anchored in the Singapore Straits , you are in
the midst of an unforgettable visual symphony.
There are displays of stalactites
and stalagmites to admire as you pass through the mountain and continue your descent
via these miraculous swooping cantilevering walkways. Finally back at the foot of the mountain, the
exit is via a multimedia display with an
intense message, showing the harm a five degree temperature rise could do to
this wondrous world. It is a powerful and unavoidable eco-statement.
13.
Leaving behind the cooling moist air of the Cloud Forest,
and stepping back into the luxuriously dense heat of Singapore, the Gardens by
the Bay offer one more unforgettable experience as you move on to the amazing Supertrees.
14.
In a garden of superlatives the Supertrees are like nothing
else you will have seen – perhaps ever. Half triffid, half graceful orchid,
these magnificently surreal creations stretch skyward not just in a grove but
scattered throughout the park. In stark contrast to the natural botanic landscape
of the gardens, they are proudly, garishly, gorgeously manmade. Rather than
trying to disguise and blend with the surrounding greenery, they reach to the
azure sky above in shades of mauve, magenta and maroon.
Their proud contrast is their greatest moment. Like an
artist’s rendition of a garden, the lines between imagination and reality blur
when you absorb the magic of the supertrees.
Swooping at high level between the trees , suspended and
almost invisibly supported, is the walkway. Defying gravity, an engineering
feat of real grace, this walkway is the crowning glory – the ultimate moment of
this processional journey through the Gardens. Trembling ever so slightly
beneath many feet, the walkway curls around the trees, offering views you will
want to capture on film at every turn.
Make sure you leave yourself the time to go up to the hidden cafe - even
higher than its surrounding trees, - and savour the views one last time before you
leave.
Visiting Singapore was always a pleasure, but now it must
surely be one of the most exciting cities on earth.
Here is a prediction: In less than five years the Gardens by
the Bay will take over not only as the number one attraction in Singapore, but as
one of the top travel destinations in the world. Singapore will make you smile.
It will make your heart sing. My next visit cannot come soon enough!
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Photos:
1 – The Supertrees –
Gardens By The Bay
2 – The Singapore River with the Elgin Bridge in the foreground and Marina
Bay Sands sneaking into view behind.
3 – Abdul Gafoor Mosque
4 – A devotee immerses herself in purifying smoke in front
of the
Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple on Waterloo Street , Bugis Junction.
5 – The street market at Bugis Junction
6 – Layered by time – street cafes, shop houses and sky scrapers along
the Singapore river west bank.
7 – A street band provides music and colour to a downtown stroll.
8 – The gleaming double-helix needs constant attention if it is to remain
spotless and pristine.
9 – Icons abound. The lotus inspired museum to the left, and the amazing
Marina Bay Sands to the right.
10 – In the flower pavilion a photo-shoot takes place.
11 – The breath-taking entry to the Cloud Forest.
12 – In the Cloud Forest looking from the processional pathway down to
ground zero.
13 – And looking up at these gravity defying walkways amidst lush
mountain forestation.
14 – The Supertrees and their walkway. No – not an artist’s
representation, - the real thing.
15 – A last glance back past the Supertrees to the Singapore Eye and
cityscape in the distance.
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