Architecture sights in Singapore City
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Fort Canning Hill
When Raffles rolled in and claimed Singapore for the mother country, locals steered clear of Fort Canning Hill, then called Bukit Larangan (Forbidden Hill), out of respect for the sacred shrine of Sultan Iskandar Shah, ancient Singapura's last ruler. Raffles built a modest atap residence on the summit in 1822, which acted as Government House until the military built Fort Canning, named after Viscount Canning, first Viceroy of India, in 1860.
A few early-colonial hints remain - old Christian gravestones are embedded in brick walls, and there's a spice garden on the site of Raffles' original botanic garden; guided tours can be arranged through at-sunrice cooking academy at …
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Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Architecturally out of this world, Singapore’s S$600-million Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is the poster-boy for contemporary Singapore. Architects wanted to challenge ingrained conservatism, and they succeeded – the centre has been compared to flies’ eyes, melting honeycomb and two upturned durians, and called a whole lot of rude words we can’t repeat here. The controversial aluminium shades reference Asian reed-weaving geometries and maximise natural light. Eight years on, the building has been accepted as part of the local landscape. There’s a nonstop program of international and local performances, some great restaurants and free outdoor performances. Book ticke…
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Cuppage Terrace & Emerald Hill
Named after William Cuppage, who was the 19th-century owner of the nutmeg estate here, Cuppage Tce, a renovated terrace of Peranakan-style shophouses dating from the 1920s, is overwhelmed by the surrounding shopping malls and hotels. Most of the terrace is given over to bars and restaurants, as is the Orchard Rd end of Emerald Hill. Take some time out, though, to wander up from pedestrianised Peranakan Pl to Emerald Hill Rd, where some fine terrace houses remain; the quiet atmosphere feels a million miles from bustling Orchard Rd. Check out Nos 39 to 45, built in 1903 with an unusually wide frontage and a grand Chinese-style entrance gate, and the art deco–style houses No…
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Sultan Mosque
Kampong Glam’s gold-domed epicentre is Sultan Mosque, named after Raffles’ buddy Sultan Hussein Shah. Originally built in 1825 with a grant from Raffles and the East India Company, it was replaced 100 years later with the current edifice. The prayer hall can accommodate 5000 worshippers; a glaring red digital clock compromises the atmosphere a little, but at least everybody knows when to pray. The massive rug on the prayer hall (no entry to non-Muslims) is a gift from a Saudi Prince, whose emblem is woven onto it.
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Kuan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple
In the heart of Waterloo St (which we swear has more vibrancy and soul than glossy Chinatown), Kuan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple is lively and colourful. Dedicated to Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, it’s usually busy. Flower sellers and fortune tellers swarm around the entrance. Devotees stream into the temple daily, offering joss sticks and shaking kau cim (fortune telling) sticks, all under the gaze of the magnificent golden Buddha.
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Tan Yeok Nee House
Near Orchard Rd, on the corner of Penang Rd, Tan Yeok Nee House was built in 1885 as the townhouse of a prosperous merchant, and is the sole surviving example in Singapore of a traditional Chinese mansion. Today it’s part of the Asian campus of the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, but you can still admire its fine roof decoration from outside.
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Peranakan Terrace Houses
Just off Joo Chiat Rd you’ll find some of the finest Peranakan terrace houses in Singapore. Exhibiting the typical Peranakan love of ornate design, they are decorated with stucco dragons, birds, crabs and brilliantly glazed tiles. Pintu pagar (swinging doors) at the front of the houses are another typical feature, allowing in breezes while retaining privacy.
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Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
Take a few hours to explore the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, Singapore’s largest (12 buildings) and most stunning. ‘Don’t speak unless it improves the silence’ is the creed here, the resultant quiet a surreal counterpart to dragon-topped pagodas, shrines, plazas and lawns linked by Escher-like staircases.
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Chettiar Hindu Temple
Officially known as the Sri Thandayuthapani Temple, the open-walled, blue-green Chettiar Hindu Temple was completed in 1984, replacing a temple built by Indian chettiars (moneylenders). Dedicated to the six-headed Shaivite god, Lord Subramaniam, it’s at its most active during the Thaipusam festival.
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Armenian Church
Dedicated to St Gregory the Illuminator, Singapore’s oldest church (1836) is the neoclassical Armenian Church, designed by eminent colonial architect George Coleman. Pushing up orchids in the graveyard is Agnes Joaquim, discoverer of Singapore’s national flower – the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid.
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Hajjah Fatimah Mosque
Painted cream and brown, the Hajjah Fatimah Mosque was built in 1846 and named after the mosque’s wealthy Malaccan-born Malay benefactor. Equally curious is its ‘Leaning Tower of Kampong Glam’ – a European-style minaret tilting about 6 degrees off-centre. The outbuildings are also well out of kilter.
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Thian Hock Keng Temple
Also known as the Temple of Heavenly Happiness, Thian Hock Keng Temple is one of Singapore’s oldest and most eye-popping temples. Dedicated to Ma Cho Po, Goddess of the Sea, it was built by early Chinese Hokkien immigrants in gratitude for safe passage to Singapore.
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