In front of you is the defining image of 21st-century Singapore. But the most surprising thing isn't the hotel, it's the ground beneath your feet: all of this used to be sea.

1A bay won from the water

Since the 1970s, Singapore has filled in its waterfront with millions of tonnes of sand and earth, creating the new Marina district. In 2008 the bay was closed off by a dam, the Marina Barrage, and the water in front of you stopped being sea: it is a freshwater reservoir, vital for a country with very scarce water resources.

2A ship in the sky

The Marina Bay Sands complex was designed by the architect Moshe Safdie and opened in 2010. Its three 55-storey towers support the SkyPark, a platform of about 340 metres with gardens and a pool on top, which cantilevers 66.5 metres beyond the north tower. It cost around 8 billion Singapore dollars, making it one of the most expensive buildings in the world at the time.

At its feet, the ArtScience Museum, also by Safdie, imitates a lotus flower. Behind it, the "Supertrees" of Gardens by the Bay, opened in 2012, are vertical gardens up to 50 metres tall.

Every evening the bay becomes the stage for a light and water show. It's the perfect end to the walk.

3What to look for

  • The SkyPark cantilever, jutting out beyond the north tower.
  • The Helix Bridge, with its double-helix structure inspired by DNA.
  • The lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum.
Helix Bridge, Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum lit up at dusk
Helix Bridge, Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum at blue hour.

Documented

Moshe Safdie's Marina Bay Sands opened in 2010 on reclaimed land; the Marina Barrage turned the bay into a freshwater reservoir in 2008.

Sources and credits

Marina Bay Sands (official website, architecture); Urban Redevelopment Authority, "Marina Bay"; PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, "Marina Barrage".

Photos:

  • Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum on the bay: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0.
  • Helix Bridge, Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum lit up at dusk: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Spotted a mistake? Drop us a line and we’ll look into it.