Saturday 10 May 2014

Raffles City: the City within a city


Raffles City off Carver Street, Bras Basah
Holbein Artists’ Watercolor on Stillman & Birn Delta Hardbound

I met up with fellow sketchers Parka and Eve and proceeded to sketch this scene off Carver Street at Bras Basah.

I remember Raffles City and the hotel within the compound: The then Westin Stamford and the Westin Hotel was the pride and and joy of the nation for a while. At the time of its opening, it held the reputation of being the tallest hotel in the world.

Designed by the internationally renown I. M. Pei, it was laid out and intended to be a city with a city. In its original incarnation, it had a central atrium (now occupied by Shanghai Tang, Agnes B and other boutiques) representing a metaphorical park, which opens to a tremendous skylight. The height of the triple volume space held space frames, which in turn held floodlights that faded in and out simulating cloud cast. It was a beautifully poetic space.

That graceful arena has since been replaced by economy.


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