Singapore caught us all off guard. One would probably not describe us “city people” but somehow we found our time in Singapore both interesting and comforting. Singapore was never a place I had on my list of places I wanted to visit, but after 10 days in the city, I left amazed and wanting more. What I loved about Singapore was this interplay between nature, art and technology as well as government and the individual. Every place we went, plants and nature were a part of the buildings. The parking lots had vines growing up them, the hospitals had open terraces and garden walkways. The downtown corridor had solar run cooling fans on the street that provided shade during the day and lighting at night. The entire Gardens by the Bay includes a massive cloud forest in a greenhouse, a stunning flower garden, museums, restaurants, outdoor gardens and huge tree sculptures that are run off of solar and biofuels created on site.
It was inspiring to see a city work towards a greener tomorrow.
The worlds largest indoor waterfall was a sight to behold. Inside a massive greenhouse the different ecosystems in a cloud forest were maintained and you could explore the different levels going in and out of the waterfall itself.
From inside the greenhouse, the afternoon storms came with their full force. The dome of glass what a spectacular place to watch the sheets of water cleanse the city.
Cruising along the bay on a scooter. To the left in this picture you can see the edge of the solar street fans / shades / rain protection / night light instillation they had along the path.
As a chemistry major and fine arts minor, this museum was my happy place. The lotus flower shaped building that appeared to defy gravity was filled with inspiring exhibits and beautiful quotes about the integration of science and art. The whole museum is surrounded by this lily pad pong, again blending nature, art and science.
Again these lines, I am no architect - but I love how the building, the usable space and nature dance together in this city, each complementing eachother.
The pond was the top of the waterfall in the Cloud Forest, a collection of art, history and science.
Just look at this life. This was in the flower dome where they had plants from around the world including an amazing collection of Olive Trees (which is saying something after spending 3 months with Olive tress) It must be a botanist dream job to work here. The textures and shades of green were mesmerizing.
We have hundreds of pictures of these
Here again you can see the architecture of this mall dance with the palm trees, beautifully lit from below. This mall even contained a rain collecting system that drained into a waterfall in the mall, that created a river through the center creating a river like those in Italy with boats that took shoppers along the length of the mall.
This is art. This piece profoundly spoke to me. This is a sculpture in the flower dome, and a part of a collection with a husband and a child. If I could artistically represent how I feel this year, it this sculpture. She is fluid and soft, yet made of bronze. It appears to defy gravity as the pieces appear disconnected yet are all one. She is open to the world around her, yet strong and stable in who she is. You can fill the sculpture with so many meanings depending on what you bring to the conversation. It inspires thought, questions, examination and emotion. I can’t think of another piece that has been of art I have ever been so inspired by.
Solar powered street fans make walking in the heat more enjoyable.
The whole city is set up for the rain. The bus and subway systems were clean, efficient and ran on time and also made the commute dry and comfortable.