Up to Singapore - March 6th-13th 2012

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March 8th 2012: Marina Bay (mostly)


Page 1 of 2.
Click on images below to enlarge:
Hotel
The nice view from our hotel room near dawn, showing the Singapore Flyer (ferris wheel) and the Esplanade (spiky building at left).
For context, the full view from our window, including the park kitty-corner from us.
The same scene as two pictures earlier, this one just before dawn. I took this picture on March 10, 2012.
Our hotel room.
The nice view from our hotel room near dawn, showing the Singapore Flyer (ferris wheel) and the Esplanade (spiky building at left).
For context, the full view from our window, including the park kitty-corner from us.
The same scene as two pictures earlier, this one just before dawn.
I took this picture on March 10, 2012.
Our hotel room.
Breakfast at Hong Lim Complex
An award-winning wonton soup place. (Most award and articles are posted on an awning to the left, not shown in this picture). This was the first booth in the Hong Lim Complex that we bought food from.
Our quite good wonton soups were a nice way to start the morning. The prawn one (far) had much larger wontons, half prawn and half meat. The all pork wontons (near) were smaller. They were rather different but both good and light. I like how the wrappers are so thin that one can see through them.
A drink booth.
Our kiwi pineapple juice. Really good. And look at the complexities of color and texture.
An award-winning wonton soup place. (Most award and articles are posted on an awning to the left, not shown in this picture). This was the first booth in the Hong Lim Complex that we bought food from.
Our quite good wonton soups were a nice way to start the morning. The prawn one (far) had much larger wontons, half prawn and half meat. The all pork wontons (near) were smaller. They were rather different but both good and light. I like how the wrappers are so thin that one can see through them.
A drink booth.
Our kiwi pineapple juice. Really good. And look at the complexities of color and texture.
A fried-things-with-egg booth.
Our oyster omelette.
A fried-things-with-egg booth.
Our oyster omelette.
Marina Bay
The lively sculpture Momentum, framed by the edge of the sculpture Progressive Flows, the first two sculptures we found on our art tour around Marina Bay. Progressive Flows is a set of sinusoidal stone waves; some are horizontal--we sat in those like beach chairs for a spell.
The sheep-like light-sculpture Coral Gardens.
Details. I know it's about coral, but I prefer thinking it's a herd of sheep.
The Marina Bay Sands hotel/resort complex. The large low-ish building (relative to the hotels) is the shopping mall. The lotus-shaped building on the left is the ArtScience Museum. On our walk, we got much closer to these buildings. On a future day, I went to the park atop the hotels.
The lively sculpture Momentum, framed by the edge of the sculpture Progressive Flows, the first two sculptures we found on our art tour around Marina Bay. Progressive Flows is a set of sinusoidal stone waves; some are horizontal--we sat in those like beach chairs for a spell.
The sheep-like light-sculpture Coral Gardens.
Details. I know it's about coral, but I prefer thinking it's a herd of sheep.
The Marina Bay Sands hotel/resort complex. The large low-ish building (relative to the hotels) is the shopping mall. The lotus-shaped building on the left is the ArtScience Museum. On our walk, we got much closer to these buildings. On a future day, I went to the park atop the hotels.
Marina Bay City Gallery
The main model in the Marina Bay City Gallery. Also, I like the living wall in the background.
At bottom, information about the Marina Barrage, which is shown in model in the top half of this picture. It made the whole marina into a tidal basin and freshwater catchment!
An interesting (though brief) interactive touch-screen display describing the plans for Marina Bay with respect to various goals.
Another perspective on the same model, this time looking more at the business district near Marina Bay.
The main model in the Marina Bay City Gallery. Also, I like the living wall in the background.
At bottom, information about the Marina Barrage, which is shown in model in the top half of this picture. It made the whole marina into a tidal basin and freshwater catchment!
An interesting (though brief) interactive touch-screen display describing the plans for Marina Bay with respect to various goals.
Another perspective on the same model, this time looking more at the business district near Marina Bay.
More Marina Bay
Looking along Marina Bay Sands waterfront boardwalk toward the ArtScience Museum. It's a pleasant place to stroll. The two glass buildings at left (one in foreground and one in the distance) that spring out of the water are the so-called Crystal Pavilions. They'll house shops and clubs. I think they'll be a neat venue. They'll be accessible by this boardwalk and by an underwater tunnel.
A panoramic video of one segment of the mall, Marina Bay Shoppes. I love the airy, open spaces, the tons of natural light, and the nice design. How come the U.S. doesn't have malls this nice?
One part of the mall has a canal with boats! Neat.
An HDR shot (taken with my phone app) of roughly the same scene, but this one shows both the canals (below), the airy elevated walkways, and the huge windows (above).
Looking along Marina Bay Sands waterfront boardwalk toward the ArtScience Museum. It's a pleasant place to stroll.
The two glass buildings at left (one in foreground and one in the distance) that spring out of the water are the so-called Crystal Pavilions. They'll house shops and clubs. I think they'll be a neat venue. They'll be accessible by this boardwalk and by an underwater tunnel.
A panoramic video of one segment of the mall, Marina Bay Shoppes. I love the airy, open spaces, the tons of natural light, and the nice design. How come the U.S. doesn't have malls this nice?
One part of the mall has a canal with boats! Neat.
An HDR shot (taken with my phone app) of roughly the same scene, but this one shows both the canals (below), the airy elevated walkways, and the huge windows (above).
One end of the mall, showing more of how it opens its space. At the lower level is an ice skating rinks and a food court (where I ate a few days later).
Wind Arbor, a sculpture consisting of many small aluminum sheet that blow and shimmer in the wind, a la the similar one I saw on Rosslyn, Arlington, VA.
The Helix Bridge, withe a bumboat in the foreground and the Singapore Flyer in the background.
Ditto, just with more foliage in the foreground. I couldn't decide which picture I liked better so I kept them both.
One end of the mall, showing more of how it opens its space. At the lower level is an ice skating rinks and a food court (where I ate a few days later).
Wind Arbor, a sculpture consisting of many small aluminum sheet that blow and shimmer in the wind, a la the similar one I saw on Rosslyn, Arlington, VA.
The Helix Bridge, withe a bumboat in the foreground and the Singapore Flyer in the background.
Ditto, just with more foliage in the foreground. I couldn't decide which picture I liked better so I kept them both.
The Helix Bridge as it curves away from us. It's a pedestrian bridge.
Another view along the side of the Helix Bridge.
The structure of the bridge.
The lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum. What a novel design! Also, though you can't tell in this picture, it has lotus ponds out front. We decided not to go in the museum.
The Helix Bridge as it curves away from us. It's a pedestrian bridge.
Another view along the side of the Helix Bridge.
The structure of the bridge.
The lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum. What a novel design! Also, though you can't tell in this picture, it has lotus ponds out front.
We decided not to go in the museum.
A nice panorama, taken from one of the viewpoint bulges on the Helix Bridge, of (from left to right): the Helix Bridge, Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum, the financial district, and the floating stadium. Incidentally, I learned at the City Gallery earlier this day that there's a 280 meter height limit for skyscrapers--that's why all the tall buildings you see here are about the same height.
A huge graffiti-style mural in the lobby of a building, one of many pieces of art we spotted not on the art trail guide.
The Soaring Helix. I think this structure would be cooler if it rotated. I mis-read the description originally to think that, rather than the marble slabs being rotated with respect to each other, the whole structure rotated. Ah well.
A nice panorama, taken from one of the viewpoint bulges on the Helix Bridge, of (from left to right): the Helix Bridge, Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum, the financial district, and the floating stadium.
Incidentally, I learned at the City Gallery earlier this day that there's a 280 meter height limit for skyscrapers--that's why all the tall buildings you see here are about the same height.
A huge graffiti-style mural in the lobby of a building, one of many pieces of art we spotted not on the art trail guide.
The Soaring Helix. I think this structure would be cooler if it rotated. I mis-read the description originally to think that, rather than the marble slabs being rotated with respect to each other, the whole structure rotated. Ah well.
Shopping Mall
The view from an escalator into a bustling food court. I love looking down and seeing the tables piled with tons of small plates filled with various dishes. I'm sorry I don't remember where I took this.
Ditto, with different camera settings.
Another attempt (because I knew it was hard to take a picture on a moving escalator).
The same sort of thing looking down the opposite side of the escalator.
The view from an escalator into a bustling food court. I love looking down and seeing the tables piled with tons of small plates filled with various dishes. I'm sorry I don't remember where I took this.
Ditto, with different camera settings.
Another attempt (because I knew it was hard to take a picture on a moving escalator).
The same sort of thing looking down the opposite side of the escalator.