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{Art Science Museum © William Cho}

Inspired by the form of a lotus, Singapore’s newly opened ArtScience Museum in the heart of the Marina Bay development is a striking addition to the waterfront, with ten dramatic “fingers” curving up towards the sky.

Like all flowers, this too needs water and light. Architect Moshe Safdie designed the Museum to allow natural light to illuminate the curved interior walls of the fingers through skylights at their tips. Its dish-like roof gathers rainwater, channeling it down a 35-foot drop at the core of the building, towards a reflective pool on the lower floor. From here, it’s redirected to a cooling cylindrical waterfall feature, and—more prosaically—recycled for use in the museum toilets.

Our very own Art Science Museum featured as one of the LEADING EXAMPLES OF BIOCLIMATIC ARCHITECTURE (of sustainable architectural design) featured here! It is pretty awesome knowing that Singapore’s found a way onto the world’s notice for environmental efforts. Architectural design that encapsulates modern chic & sustainability.

I’ve been to MBS several times – most noticeably for the Titanic & Salvatore Dali exhibition, and more recently for the musical Wicked. I’ve also gone for a night cycling trip with a route that cuts through MBS, and I’ve to say that being in this area of the city, you cannot help but feel proud to be a Singaporean. I doubt I’m the only one who feels this way. Many Singaporeans have expressed how much they see MBS as a symbol of our nation’s successful efforts, not only in the financial arena, but also in areas such as sustainable architecture. Way to go, Art Science Museum!

{Art Science Museum – Aerial View of the “Lotus Flower” © William Cho}

{Art Science Museum – The interior of the “Lotus Flower” © William Cho}