Where
Known as “the little red dot” on the world map, singapore is big on style and design. The modern city-state and island country in south-east asia is a highly urbanised location.
When
Singapore weather is almost consistent throughout the year. It is near uniformly warm, very humid and with frequent thunderstorms throughout the year. To avoid the crowds, steer clear of national holidays and popular events like the singapore grand prix in september. On second thoughts…maybe even plan your holidays around these!
WHY
The buildings of Singapore take you back in history. They showcase the nation’s journey from a little fishing village to a world-class metropolis. Here, one gets to see a potpourri of architectural styles. Delight in old shophouses and structures, even as you marvel at the fantastic malls and modern buildings. Of course, the varied angles and hues of the skyline are fascinating, especially at dusk.
Design doyen
The new majestic hotel, a member of design hotelstm, is located in a chinatown shophouse. The building originally comprised of four shophouses and a restaurant. All these were restored and even earned the hotel a national architectural heritage award.
Asia’s cutting-edge artists and designers have worked their skills into making it a space full of whimsy. The boutique hotel has thirty rooms, including nine suites. All the rooms have varied and trendy designs and offer a window into a world of creativity.
The rooms are painted in a variety of refreshing colours and designs and have complementing accessories that each tells a story.
The common areas are noteworthy too. Eccentric artworks don every nook, and a vast collection of vintage chairs in the gleaming terrazzo lobby leave the visitor in awe. These include old barbers’ chairs, as well as dentist chairs. The lap pool positioned over the restaurant, has three cheeky glass inserts in the floor.
Bustling wonder
Clarke quay is quite rightly singapore’s home of bars, restaurants and clubs. It has an atmosphere of its own thanks to the unique design. Older style shophouses renovated with loud colours characterise this area. The historical riverside quay lights up at night and is equally vibrant by day.
In a redevelopment program, there has been an ingenious moderation of the microclimate through the sophisticated design of shading and cooling systems, which reduce the ambient temperature while adding visual interest. Canopies, arcades and a well-designed riverfront complete the look.
Futuristic gardens
The collection of gardens and domes in the Gardens by the Bay, each with its unique characteristics makes this a visual wonder for any visitor. Supertrees, giant tree-like structures that dominate the landscape, are vertical sustainable gardens with elevated walkways.
Each of the wonderfully landscaped gardens has something special to offer in the way it has been designed as well as the flora on display. Two domes, the “Cloud Forest” and the “Flower Dome” are in effect temperature-controlled glasshouses, having a glass-roof without additional interior support.
Treasures of the red dot
The red dot design museum is a window to creative singapore. It presents the latest trends in the international design scene. All exhibits are winners of the international red dot design award, one of the world’s leading and largest design competitions.
The museum is situated in the red dot traffic, an impressive colonial-style building that is painted bright red and is seen as singapore’s present-day creative centre. The unique architecture also makes it a fascinating event location, which regularly hosts design conferences, design events and spectacular parties for the creative industries.
Text By Dhanishta Shah
