2015 is a big year for Singapore. The city state is celebrating its Jubilee, the big 50. A great opportunity to take a step back and to gaze at what has been made in such a short amount of time…
For the last 50 years, the country has evolved to become one of the most advanced economy in the world and a major hub in the whole APAC. The airport boasts the best connections for the entire region, and the infrastructures and transportation are great.
Fullerton Hotel, view from top of MBS
But for me, this evolution is also embodied in the architecture. While one can miss a certain uniformity between the different boroughs, Singapore made also some ambitious choices in term of architecture. The most prominent one being the city’s new landmark, the Marina Bay Sands (MBS). But there are many other examples such as the Park Royal on Pickering, which boasts hanging gardens (google it and have a look), many skyscrapers in the CBD area or the Golden Mile Ghetto blaster lookalike building
The Marina Bay Sands with the Infinity Pool on top
Yet, people can visit another new landmark, i.e. the Gardens by the Bay, which is a park featuring two domes and a supertree grove, among others.
The commercial luxury malls represent another example. I have barely seen so many luxury shops concentrated on one single road. On Orchard Road, there are as many luxury shops as Kebab in my hometown. This shows, no offence, that people in Singapore also like to show-off their wealth and are a “bit” materialist ;-)! Bearing in mind that luxury products are heavily taxed, it came to a surprise, at first, to see people queuing in front of the stores before being let in.
Here after, a few snapshots to depict the modern Singapore. Click on the first thumbnail to enlarge the pics.
