The heritage building in the background is the Fullerton Hotel. As you can see, it's located in the foreground of a number of vast new tower buildings. But sufficiently alone that it is not dominated by them. Visitors to the waterfront love it. Most of the photos taken have it in the background. The favorite pose is to appear to be "lifting it".
This is part of the garden on top of one of the waterfront developments described in the previous blog. You can see a fountain. Little garden squares. Paving. Seating. And trees to shelter you from the merciless heat of the tropics. In the mid-background is the top of a light well used to bring natural light to two levels below.
Bronze artworks of all sorts decorate public places. Much loved and photographed. Heritage stonework predominates. Sometimes the wateredge is fenced - as here - sometimes not...
... as here, where people love to sit dangling their legs and feet above the water. In the background is a popular restaurant area. The polished black basalt (I think) blocks make good seats.
The quality of public open space finish is exemplary. Even Baron Haussmann (the destroyer and rebuilder of heritage Paris) would be impressed to see his ideas for tree root planting and protection, public seating, and paving done with so much style and attention to detail.
And what really strikes you, coming to Singapore from the Auckland waterfront, is the total absence of cars. And the piece and quiet and sense of calm that goes with that determination to exclude the motor vehicle from the waterfront.
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