between gardens and glass

April 11, 2023

The Merlion and Marina Bay make an unmistakable introduction to Singapore. Beyond the waterfront, the city opens into temple courtyards, colorful shophouse streets, indoor gardens, and restaurants.

What stayed with me was how much greenery belongs to the buildings themselves—trees on elevated terraces, vines over concrete edges, and entire façades covered in plants. Those everyday encounters were as memorable as the landmarks.
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Singapore’s Merlion overlooking Marina Bay

The Merlion

Half lion and half fish, this emblem combines Singapura’s “Lion City” name with the island’s fishing-village origins. Water arcs from its mouth above the wave-shaped base at Merlion Park.

Marina Bay Sands behind a spherical glass pavilion on the waterfrontMarina Bay Sands illuminated across the water at duskThe tall, light-filled atrium inside Marina Bay SandsAn elevated view of the ArtScience Museum’s white petal-shaped roofArtScience Museum from the waterfrontThe Esplanade beside the bay

Marina Bay

The three Marina Bay Sands towers carry the rooftop SkyPark above the waterfront. The glass sphere in front is Apple Marina Bay Sands, a store built directly on the water.

PARKROYAL’s sky gardensGardens above the streetA tower covered in greeneryHigh-rise blocks linked across a large openingBugis+

Green architecture

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering, designed by WOHA, incorporates 15,000 square metres of greenery—roughly twice its site area. Palms, shrubs, and trailing plants fill terraces between the glass blocks.

The red and white Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in ChinatownBuddha Tooth Relic Temple entranceA Hindu temple entrance tower covered in colorful sculpted figuresA temple courtyard entrance

Temples

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum draws on Tang-dynasty architecture and the Buddhist mandala. Its stacked red-and-white roofs rise over South Bridge Road in Chinatown.

Colorful shutters on a row of Singapore shophousesA busy Chinatown lane with illuminated stalls at nightA white historic building with rainbow-colored window shuttersA large colorful mural above a lively street cornerShophouses beneath the skylineA boat beside riverside shophouses

Streets and riverfront

Orange panels and blue trim distinguish the narrow central façade from its pale neighbors.

An elaborate pale carved object displayed in a shopAn amber-colored carvingOrnaments in a cabinet

Carvings and ornaments

Interlocking curves and tiny figures crowd the pale ornamental piece on its dark wooden stand.

The colorful interior walkways and storefronts at FunanFunan’s open interiorClimbing inside Funan

Funan

Funan combines shopping with activities such as indoor climbing and cycling. Colored floor tiles, suspended walkways, and open levels give this mall a very different layout from a conventional shopping corridor.

Singaporean crab in red sauce with golden bunsGrilled seafood and side dishes covering a restaurant tableA divided pot at the tableNoodles lifted with chopsticks above a patterned bowlSmall plated bites presented at a softly lit restaurant tableSoup with its wooden lidBread and spiral rollsA plated course with herbsA layered dessertA bubbling dish in a black pot set over a warmerCrisp red-coated bites with a pale dipping sauce

Food and dining

Chilli crab, one of Singapore’s signature dishes: shell-on crab coated in a thick sauce balancing sweetness, savouriness, and chilli heat. The golden buns are fried mantou, used to soak up the gravy.

Foam-topped cocktail in a coupe glass with a red garnishTall iced cocktail topped with dried citrus and a sprig of greeneryCocktail with a large stamped ice cube and a green leaf garnish

Cocktails

Served up in a coupe, this sour-style cocktail has a fine foam cap finished with orange and pale violet flowers. The absence of ice in the glass leaves the smooth surface and floral garnish undisturbed.

An aerial view of the waterfront conservatories and gardensThe elevated walkway winding through the Supertrees at Gardens by the BaySupertrees rising above a sunlit garden path

Gardens by the Bay

The two waterfront conservatories are Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. One recreates cool, dry growing conditions; the other houses plants associated with cool, moist tropical mountain environments.

The Cloud Forest waterfall descending beside a planted wallA curving aerial walkway around the planted mountain in Cloud ForestA planted arch in Cloud Forest

Cloud Forest

Cloud Forest’s 35-metre waterfall drops beside a mountain covered in vegetation. The cooled conservatory recreates the moist conditions of tropical highlands beneath its sweeping glass roof.

A small stone pagoda surrounded by flowers and a wooden fenceHanging flowersSnorlax reclining among flowers in a Pokémon garden displayCharmander in the gardenPink-and-white bougainvillea bracts on branches above the water

Flowers and garden details

Pink, purple, and white blooms surround a stone pagoda, wooden fence, and narrow path.

The Rain Vortex and surrounding greenery beneath Jewel Changi’s glass roofThe lower view of the Rain Vortex falling into its circular basinRain Vortex beneath the roofLooking into the waterfall

Jewel Changi

Jewel Changi’s Rain Vortex falls 40 metres from the glass roof toward the basement. The indoor waterfall sits at the heart of Forest Valley, surrounded by planted terraces and pedestrian routes.

Small country, many layers

City and country. Singapore is an independent city-state in Southeast Asia. Its compact geography brings national institutions, neighborhoods, gardens, industry, and a major international transport hub into one urban setting.

A young republic. Singapore became independent on August 9, 1965. That date is celebrated as National Day.

Four official languages. English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil are Singapore’s official languages. The mix offers some context for the different cultural and religious traditions visible across the city.

A City in Nature. Singapore’s Green Plan places nature within its vision for urban life, including gardens, nature parks, and connections between green spaces. The spectacular planted interiors in these photographs sit within a much broader conversation about greenery in a dense city.

Country notes: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore’s national report, and the Singapore Green Plan.

Chino Pisces

Animator, designer, and illustrator

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