Travelogue
A Glimpse of Singapore by Lim Ke Zhen
prologue I am not a frequent traveler. But sometimes I get a chance to go somewhere I wouldn't. A brief visit to a city is not a great way to get to know the city and its people, and which I refer to the "passerby's dilemma." I'll never convince people that I know a place because I've been there for a day or two. At most, I just caught a peek of the place. I decided to express my travelogue with series of photos about glimpses of places I've been to for this experiencing architecture trip. They are not, and never will be, comprehensive, nor should they be. They show what I have seen in the short time for the places that I have visited. They don't necessarily show the usual tourist attractions or websites you've seen in travel magazines in the past (though they may, who knows). I had little chance to wait for the best light or the best weather to take pictures. I am a passerby. I just glimpsed at it. Hence, the naming of this travelogue, A Glimpse of Singapore.
prelude This is a travelogue that records the journey of a six-day trip to Singapore with my fellow course lecturer and classmates. It is intended for the submission of the course, AR853, Experiencing Architecture, coordinated by Mr. James Lim Chin Wai. I would like to express my gratitude towards Mr. James for planning this trip and giving an opportunity for us to visit overseas while ensuring our safety during the pandemic season. I felt that it is great to learn outside of the classroom once in awhile to broaden our knowledge and experience. just some information for the submission: Name : Lim Ke Zhen ID Number : 1001850570 Course Code : AR853 Course Name : Experiencing Architecture Batch Number : 2022/01 Trip Duration : 01.06.2022 - 06.06.2022 Location : Singapore Lecturer : Mr. James Lim Chin Wai P.S.: for better viewing experience, highly recommend to view this travelogue in the issuu link given below. Link: https://issuu.com/limkezhen/docs/singapore_travelogue
Link : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1N6XroTt_GR0WQHffptf6dk34t4T8a3_?usp=sharing
AR853
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Experiencing Architecture
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2022/01
Singapore Itinerary 2022
day 01
changi, downtown core day 02
queenstown day 03
jurong west day 04
museum, douby ghaut day 05
marina south day 06
downtown core
day one Changi Airport Bugis Street
01.06.2022
Day 01 On our first day, we arrived at Singapore around 830am, which leads to our first stop, Changi Airport. As the time is still early, we took a quick breakfast at A&W and continue our exploration in Changi, while waiting to check in to our hotel at 230pm. After we checked in, we explore our own way through the bustling streets of kampong glam. The streets are full of arab delights and culture. At the center of the streets, locating the Sultan Mosque. The mosque in Singapore is a little different from the one in Malaysia as it seem to be more public friendly and welcoming. We had our lunch and dinner in the streets and head back to the hotel.
day two National University of Singapore The Star Vista Holland Village Chinatown Clarke Quay
02.06.2022
Day 02 Our first stop for day two was National University of Singapore. The building main takeaway is its zero-net energy feature. We had a sharing session and a tour given by Prof. Tan Beng Kiang. After we had lunch in the school campus, we explore around the whole campus while waiting for gathering time. Our next stop was Star Vista located in Buona Vista. During our visit, Mr. James gave us a briefing about our assignment. After that, we visited Holland Village which was an area ruled by the Hollands back in the days. The class dismissed at Holland Village and we continued our journey to Chinatown. We had our dinner at Maxwell food center and called it a day at our last stop, Clarke Quay.
day three The Hive Learning Hub School of Art Design & Media Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore Sentosa
03.06.2022
Day 03 We started the day with a light drizzling rain while visiting the Nanyang Technology University, School of Art Design and Media. We walked up the sloping roof garden while overlooking the building. After that, we continued our journey to the Hive Learning Hub which is also in the area of Nanyang Technology University. We spent a decent amount of time in the Hive going through levels by levels, observing all the architectural elements of every corners. We gathered at the top of the Hive, had a briefing with Mr. James and took a group photo. After that we visited the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore, but unfortunately it was closed, so we only managed to visit the library. During evening, we visit the beaches in Sentosa and we went back to the hotel at night.
day four Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Lau Pa Sat National Gallery Singapore Dhoby Ghaut Green
04.06.2022
Day 04 The first stop of day four was Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). We were shown the planning and developing areas of Singapore and a video expressing their vision. After that we visited National Gallery Singapore which has a soaring rotunda and a striking roof terrace. To me, this building is a great example showing a masterful balance between heritage and modernity. After that, we visited Dhoby Ghaut Green which has a open amphitheater. Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant experience to me because of the scorching sun. Class was dismissed at Dhoby Ghaut Green and we continued our journey to Sentosa, visiting the Luge, which is a cart racing game. We had a takeaway from McDonalds near the hotel and called it a day.
day five Bay Front Plaza Helix Bridge Satay by the Bay Marina Barrage Art Science Museum The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
05.06.2022
Day 05 On day five, our trip mainly focuses at Marina South, which covers the areas like Marina Bay Sands, Garden by the Bay, Marina Barrage and etc. We visited Helix Bridge on our first stop and proceeded our exploration to the Bay Front Plaza. We had our lunch at Satay by the Bay and later on visited the Marina Barrage. On top of Marina Barrage there were people flying their kites and picnicking. After that we split into two groups, one to Art Science Museum, the other to Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. We had our dinner in the Shoppes and watch the water show after visiting the iconic apple store.
day six Singapore National Library National Design Centre
03.06.2022
Day 06 On our last day in Singapore, we walked our way to our first stop, which is the Singapore National Library which is designed by Ken Yeang. The main feature for this building is its beautifully design atrium that attracts whoever passes by the building. After that, we visited the National Design Centre nearby to observe the vintage artwork in the building. Towards the end of the trip, Mr. James gave us a briefing to warp up the overall Singapore trip. After that, we head back to the hotel to pack our stuff and check out.
3 significant places
thomas heatherwick
the hive learning hub downtown core
kampong glam studioMilou singapore
national gallery singapore
the hive learning hub a unique honeycombbased design wreathed in natural foliage
by thomas heatherwick
inviting light
Upon entering the Hive, we were immediately seduced by the inviting light at the top of the building. From 11am to 2pm, light shines through the middle of the building, illuminating the inside - it’s pretty special. During the exploration, i also noticed that there are several opening towards the outside, inviting one to look out too. The landing of the staircase, the intersection of the curves, the light illuminating from the interior atrium. The light is a guide for one through the journey of the Hive.
harmony of medium there are various materials being use in the hive. Ranging from concrete, plaster to steel, all seem of be very different medium, however the application to this building shows a serene harmony between each material, without contrasting one another.
protruding balconies
language consistency the language of curves can be seen influencing even the smallest detail of the building like the railings, columns, façade and even the rain shadow. This show the level of attention the architect had put in for his design, making sure the concept and language flows fluently throughout the entire building.
peaking of hope
kampong glam used to be the home of sea gypsies ('orang' laut) whose use of the 'gelam' tree for their boats and medicine
downtown core
streets of culture At the heart of Singapore’s Islamic community is Arab Street, a picturesque and colourful street packed full of boutique shops, tiny restaurants and vendors. The section of road near the stunning Sultan Mosque is closed off to cars all day every day, meaning the whole shopping/dining/sightseeing experience at this part wins extra points for its more laidback and charming atmosphere.
colourful graffiti-tagged lane
This delightful little walking street in the heart of Kampong Glam is one of the narrowest – as well as prettiest – roads in Singapore. Famed more for its quaint and quirky collection of boutique shops, Haji Lane has become a favourite hangout for all of Singapore’s cool kids, while also attracting a good helping of visitors who venture this way. The colourful graffiti-tagged lane boasts numerous shops, markets stalls, and the odd hip cafe and restaurant, making this compact little street a must-see attraction in Kampong Glam.
contemporary aesthetics.
around sultan mosque Sultan Mosque (Masjid Sultan) is a magnificent landmark at the heart of Kampong Glam – Singapore’s ‘Arabic Quarter’. The Islamic place of worship was built in 1824 by Sultan Hussian Shah (the first ever Sultan of Singapore). The impressive complex boasts a series of giant golden domes topping off the main prayer hall, and the outside is adorned in vibrant pastel shades of orange, cream and green, helping it shine even brighter in the strong Singaporean sun.
glimpses of skyscrapers.
At every street ends or alley way, you will get a glimpse of the skyscrapers around kampong glam. The peeking of the skyscrapers shows a form of seduction through the eyes of us, guiding our vision through the beauty of its architecture. The backdrop and the street heavily contrast in its colour, style, theme and art, which reflects on the various type of architecture and culture in Singapore.
some little details.
One thing I noticed around kampong glam is the easily-missed-detail. It felt fun and heartwarming for me to see the delicate little handmade craft items along the streets. The variety of hand crafted items would impressed anyone who visits the streets of kampong glam. The details of the items were so meticulous that one will ponder on the method of making and the time consumed. Another thing is that poster along the partition of a shop under renovation. Usually when one passes by a construction site, they would tend to ignore and passes by them as quickly as possible due to the dust, noise or even safety. However, one of the shops put up a series of cute posters for passerby to look at, which instead of getting rid of passerby, they invite them to it.
national gallery singapore a masterful balance between heritage and modernity
by studioMilou singapore
road to the gallery On the way to the National Gallery Singapore, there are already many interesting landmark to look at. It was a pleasant experience because the journey feels like it is paving the theme of the gallery as we get closer to it which feels like a preexperience of the gallery.
soaring rotunda
It can be seen that the architect had ensured the extensive conservation of the buildings’ facades, including the meticulous restoration works and cleaning of shallow relief sculpture panels are being done carefully and elegantly, which in result, the beauty of the historic feature are still being preserved.
striking roof terrace Jean-François Milou, studioMilou’s lead designer and the company founder, says of the roofing, "I wanted the roof to give rise to accessible analogies for the public, such as the fibres of natural weaves and designs; rattan for example, or perhaps ikat beautiful things conjured through a stunning design gesture." At times conjuring images of finely woven rattan, at others, a smoother luminous surface, all reflecting soft shadows, the new roofing structure has also been designed to give visitors visual pleasure when accessing the buildings’ highest points.
harmony of old and new The new design represents a spectacular and respectful adaptive reuse and conservation project, transforming two of Singapore’s most important monuments - the former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings – into one major visual arts institution presenting Singapore and Southeast Asian art. Meeting the exacting standards of both a major art institution and respecting the importance of safeguarding the buildings’ existing fabric have also been the most exciting characteristics of the project for both architectural teams, with their joint passion linking heritage and innovation.
epilogue Overall, I am very pleased that I am able to be a part of this journey. Very often I have the feeling that, even though they are short and fleeting moments, the glimpses that we have of places are precious and we need to conserve the memories. Chances are that we will not go there anymore or if we go there, the place might have changed significantly. I tried to conserve my impressions of Singapore in this travelogue. I hope that you enjoyed the photographs.
lim ke zhen
新加坡 2022