See & Do
Financial District & Marina Bay
Depending on where you see them from, Singapore’s two imposing high-rise clusters of the Financial District and Suntec City appear to rise dramatically out of the Singapore River, the shophouse bars of Boat Quay or the attractive shop frontages of North Bridge Road in Chinatown. The financial and corporate pulse of the city beats here, yet the centre of each cluster is relatively small – one encompassing Raffles Place and Shenton Way, the other at the north-eastern edge of the CBD on three blocks of reclaimed land around Suntec.
It used to be that the high-rise clusters hugging either side of the harbour mouth had little to offer for leisure, save a little fishing. But this has changed in the last decade, thanks to major urban redevelopment that has made the harbour and river mouth an entertainment focal point. This has included the construction of the Esplanade and One Fullerton developments – and has continued inland past Empress Place and along the Singapore River with the continuing upgrade of the city’s riverside areas. In local marketing speak, the river is rapidly becoming a place to ‘live, work and play’ once again. Further attractions are being built across the water in Marina South. These include a revolving wheel called The Singapore Flyer, landscaped waterfront gardens and tourist development that will house one of the nation’s first two casinos. A project that’s due to be completed in 2007 is a dam across that Marina Channel that will turn the bay into a fresh water reservoir and a year-round arena for events and sports like powerboat racing.
Residential
Aside from in a few penthouses, not many people live right in the hub of the Financial District or Suntec City. Just to the east of Suntec and across the water, Tanjong Rhu’s condominiums are popular with expat urbanites wanting proximity to the city and the inlet seaside lifestyle. There is more apartment accommodation inland from the Financial District, especially in some of the older buildings, but in general neither district offers great shops (of the day-to-day variety) or facilities for residents.
Retail
The major mall in the area is Suntec City, opened in 1995 along with the Suntec Development. Until the arrival of VivoCity in 2006, it was the largest shopping centre in Singapore. Together with the CityLink Mall that links Suntec with Raffles City Mall, this stretch is the major retail rival to Orchard Road. Featuring 360 outlets over three floors, the cluster is anchored by the Carrefour hypermarket, and includes Nike by BIRD, Tower Records, an Adidas Concept Store, Toys R Us, Courts and Harvey Norman.
Places of Interest
Start a walking tour of the district by taking the MRT to Raffles Place, the financial heart of Singapore. Known as Commercial Square when it was first built in 1823, it was dubbed Raffles Place in 1858. From the early 1900s, the area became a banking centre, with flagship buildings for Shell Tower, Clifford Centre, Ocean Building and Republic Plaza.
Dotted among the gleaming towers are still some interesting national monuments. The riverside Tan Si Chong Su Temple on Magazine Road was built in 1876 and arrived in Singapore as ballast. Said to have excellent feng shui, this Hokkien temple was a focal point for Singapore’s large Tan clan. Across from Capital Square on the corner of Church and Philip Streets, is the Wak Hai Cheng Temple, built in 1850. Mixing Buddhism and Taoism, its roof is decorated with pictures of life in China. Another temple with beautiful artwork is Thian Hock Keng Temple.
Among the antiquities are some modern sculptures that are worth tracking down too. These include Salvadore Dali’s Homage to Newton and Fernando Botero’s typically chubby Bird, both in and just outside the UOB Plaza. While you’re there, take a look at Kenzo Tange’s building, one of the more striking pieces of architecture in the Financial District.
From here, walk towards the harbour, and cross the river via the underground tunnel to One Fullerton. Here a number of atmospheric restaurants and bars occupy the promenade next to the big white Merlion statue. Spouting water out of his mouth, the mythical Merlion is meant to be the city’s protector at the mouth of the river. Now cross the bridge towards the Esplanade and Suntec City, where one of the major attractions is the Fountain of Wealth. By the pencil-shaped Millenia Tower at Millenia Promenade, you’ll find another modern sculpture, this time the colourful and cartoon-like Singapore Brushstrokes by Roy Lichtenstein. Head back by foot towards the harbour to browse around another valuable collection of contemporary art at the Ritz Carlton Singapore.
For a bite to eat in the area, Lau Pa Sat is a protected building and home to some of the finest food in town.
If you’re still up for some walking, Marina City Park offers great views of the skyline and some interesting sculptures.
