Formula 1 Race in Singapore
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Experience Architecture
Published: 14.10.2026
In Singapore, a lot is being built. The city is constantly renewing itself, trying to find a balance between preserving the old and creating the new. This is my eighth visit to the city-state, and I have always explored both modern and historical architecture.
As it is today, with our first destination being the Temasek Shophouse on Orchard Road. These are four buildings that used to be at the center of automobile sales in Singapore, were later used commercially rather poorly, and now shine in new glory.
The state-owned company Temasek purchased this complex and carefully restored it into the 'Social Impact Hub.' It serves the Temasek Foundation as a center for philanthropy and today houses offices, co-working spaces, and event spaces for social organizations. The automobile history of the Malayan Motors Showrooms is honored through facade art and sculptures.
Carefully, historical architectural details have been preserved, such as mosaics inside and the typical spiral staircases on the outside of the building.
Inside, a farmers' market is currently taking place, where mostly organic producers and hobby gardeners are showcasing and selling their products in the midst of the big city without any real agricultural land.
Workshops for children are also taking place. At this art event, surely some mothers might not have worn their expensive blouse or T-shirt, as some little hands full of paint are bound to fly towards their parents' clothes.
We leave the hustle and bustle and later head to the Outram Park metro station, which has become the starting point for my regular visits to Duxton Plain Park, meandering from there along the back of houses.
Our goal is a modern office and residential building, and on the way, we finally walk through the green connecting axis from Chinatown over Duxton Plain Park and Tras Link Park to Downtown, which I have been wanting to do for a while.
At first, we pass by the Lee Kuan Yew Memorial Tree, which has grown quite a bit by now.
There is also a back entrance to an antiquarian nearby, with an honest and excellent saying hanging over the door:
WE BUY JUNKAND SELL ANTIQUES,SOME FOOLS BUYSOME FOOLS SELL
translated
We buy junkand sell antiques,some fools buysome fools sell
We pass the iconic green facade of the Oasia Hotel.
And we reach the Guoco Tower in Downtown, currently the tallest building in the city at 290 m.
Then we walk through Downtown to the Marina One office and residential building.
It consists of four corner towers. The courtyard features dynamic curved architecture surrounding a multi-story green oasis, including a thread waterfall. Over 350 different species of tropical plants grow across an area of 37,000 m², including 700 trees.
We take the escalator up to gain different perspectives. Somehow I’m not getting a beautiful overall picture.
The residential area with the pool for the residents is, of course, not accessible. By the way, an apartment costs between 1.2 and 2.3 million euros here, with the building falling under a 99-year leasehold and then reverting back to the state without compensation.
If you currently don't have spare cash available, you can also rent apartments, with a small one-bedroom apartment available for a monthly rent of 3,900 euros. If you want to have your bedroom separate from the living room, you would then have to pay a rental price of up to 6,000 euros per month for a larger apartment.
However, since my German government wants to cut my pension, this vacation apartment in Singapore is likely completely out of my budget. Moreover, I don't like the bronze-colored facade for a residential environment, although it looks quite chic for an office environment.
At this point, I would like to remark that all the photos from our stay in Singapore this year are hazy and cloudy, particularly noticeable with distant objects. Numerous forests in Indonesia are burning, creating a huge haze that has been obscuring visibility in Singapore for weeks. The sun appears only as a small yellow ball in the sky, and I can save my sunscreen the whole time.
A tip for all climate protectors and governments in Germany: Instead of focusing on bike paths in Peru and avoiding air conditioning in Germany, you could engage in forest protection in Brazil, Congo, or Indonesia. According to satellite data, the fires alone in the first week of September caused CO₂ emissions of 19.7 million tons, which is said to represent over a third of the global total emissions during that period. Agricultural burning is considered the main cause of the fires. This could be a real idea for meaningful and effective political engagement.
But let’s return to the photography subject, the architecture.
Because I am fascinated by both the old and the new in residential construction in Singapore, which I will elaborate on later. For now, I will conclude my architecture tour.
In the next blog post, I will talk about a museum visit that unfolds quite differently than expected and share about an inconspicuous historic hill right in the center of Singapore.
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Travel reports Singapore