The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (Chinese: 双溪布洛湿地保护区) is a nature reserve located in the Northwest area of Singapore. It is the first wetlands reserve to be gazetted in Singapore in the year 2002, and its global importance as a stopover point for migratory birds was also recognised by the Wetlands International's inclusion of the reserve into the East Asian Australasian Shorebird Site Network. The reserve, with an area of 130 hectares, was listed as an ASEAN Heritage Park in 2003.

Previously unheard of as a nature area, the site gained prominence only in 1986 when a call was made to conserve the area by members of the Singapore Branch of the Malayan Nature Society. Particularly significant, was its unusually high variety of bird species, which included migratory birds from as far as Siberia on their way to Australia to escape the winter months. The government took up their suggestion, and a site with an area of 0.87 km² was given nature park status in 1989. The then Parks & Recreation Department, a precursor to today’s National Parks Board developed and managed the nature park along with a team of experts. The most notable names from the team included the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust from the United Kingdom and World Wide Fund for Nature. Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve was officially opened on 6 December 1993 by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.

Over the years, Sungei Buloh charmed people from all strata of society to support its cause. It welcomed its 100,000th visitor in 1994. In 1997, the Park found its corporate sponsor in HSBC, which set up the Sungei Buloh Education Fund in support of its nature outreach programmes. In 1999, Woodlands Secondary School became the first school to adopt the park. Commonwealth Secondary School in 2001 and Hillgrove Secondary School followed in 2002. The latter two schools are still actively involved in the programme.

The government formally announced on 10 November 2001 that the park will be accorded nature reserve status, a step which protects the area from any unauthorised destruction or alteration. The second phase of the park was opened, and the entire site of 130 hectares officially gazetted on 1 January 2002 as the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. It is one of the 4 nature reserves to be gazetted. The others are Labrador Nature Reserve, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

Crabs and mudskippers dominate the littoral zone, the area between the low and high tide zones. Mud lobsters and their volcano-like mounds can be observed above the high-tide level. One may even find Malayan water monitor in the area. Fishes are in abundance due to the cessation of fishing. The Mullet, Archer Fish and Halfbeak are some species of fish in the area. Amongst the many birds that can be spotted feeding on the diverse fauna variety of worms and mollusks, are Whimbrel, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Mongolian Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper and Pacific Golden Plover, Yellow Bittern and Cinnamon Bittern. Lucky visitors to the Reserve may be able to spot the resident family of Smooth Otters, as well as the rare Lesser Whistling-duck. Atlas Moth, the largest species of moth in Southeast Asia can be found in the back mangrove. Observation hides are available in the reserve where visitors can observe the flora and fauna in the surroundings in tranquility and at a distance from the animals and birds. Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) are also occasionally seen in the reserve, although it is not known whether or not these are individuals that had wandered over from Malaysia/Indonesia or a remnant localized population (this species was once common in Singapore, but was said to be extinct.)

Since its inception, the Reserve had provided nature education programs as well as a volunteer guide programme for schools and the general public. These include the SUN Club programme which are meant for students with special needs, mentorship programmes for secondary school students and Young Naturalists Programme. Many such programmes were collaboration efforts with partners such as British Council and the Ministry of Education. The Reserve distributes education materials such as workshops, guidebook and a triannual magazine, 'Wetlands' to further enrich the students and public. Each year, the nature reserve receives more than 400 organised school visits.

On 25 August 2007, a wireless learning trail was launched at Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve. The new initiative, which integrates technology with nature education, was a partnership amongst Ministry of Education (Singapore)(MOE), Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and a private sector company iCELL Network. Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve was the first park in Singapore to engage such a learning method.

Flora and Fauna at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Quick sketch and wash of tiny swamp crabs and Bandicoot berries done with my new Sailor Brush Pen at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

On the right is a sketch of the Bandicoot Berry (Leea Indica). A decoction of the root is given in colic, is cooling and relieves thirst. In Goa, the root is much used in diarrhoeal and chronic dysentery. The roasted leaves are applied to the head in vertigo. The juice of the young leaves is a digestive.

Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang (Malay Settlements Sembawang Mosque)

Set in a secondary forest, this mosque along Jalan Mempurong was completed in 1963 as a place of worship for the Malay Muslims staying in Sembawang.

Before the mosque was built, Muslims living in kampungs nearby had to pray at suraus (Malay: small prayer house) or at the former Masjid Jumah Sembawang along Sembawang Road. In the early 1960s, funds were raised to build a mosque here. One of the biggest contributions came from Lee Foundation, which donated $10,000. When the mosque was completed, it was named Masjid Kampung Tengah, after the kampung it was located in.

In 1960, the area along the coast was populated by the Malay community. This area was known as the Malay Settlement or ‘Petempatan Melayu Sembawang’. The mosque was later renamed after the settlement as Masjid Petempatan Malayu Sembawang. For many years, it served as the social and religious centre of neighbouring Malay kampungs. Important rituals were carried out here, such as the cukur rambut (Malay: shaving of newborns’ hair) and weddings.

Extensive renovation works were carried out in 1984 and further upgrading was undertaken in 2007 for eight months before it re-opened in April 2008. Near the entrance, a tall rubber tree stands, the last one remaining from former rubber plantations here. Residents believed that there is a resident spirit in the tree as attempts to fell the tree have failed.

Books Cellar - Bookstore Cafe & Bistro

Bookstore Cafe by day and Bar by night - Have a cup of illy coffee with their  home made sandwiches, read a book or surf/work with their secured WIFI. Throw some darts, shoot a game of Pool and chill out with a bottle of Heineken or a shot of whiskey.

Saff Boutique Hotel, Keong Saik Road

The ornate Pintu Pagar of the Singapore shophouse is a unique feature of Peranakan style shophouses. The saloon style door provided privavcy to the dwellers while allowing air to flow freely for proper ventilation.

Junction of Keong Saik Road and Teck Lim Road

Keong Saik Road was named in 1926 after the Malacca-born Chinese businessman, Tan Keong Saik, the son of Tan Choon Tian. The street in Chinatown is named in remembrance to his contribution to the Chinese community.^[1]
Keong Saik Road became a prominent red-light district with a high concentration of brothels located in the three-storey high shophouses flanking either side of the street in the 1960s. The street, along with Sago Lane areas became notoriously known as one of the "turfs" operated by the Sio Loh Kuan secret society.^[2] The 1990s opened a new chapter for the road, with the site sprouting many "boutique hotels" like Royal Peacock Hotel, Hotel 1929, the Regal Inn and Keong Saik Hotel. Keong Saik Road now mainly houses coffee shops, art galleries and other shops for commercial use.^[3]
Keong Saik Road is located within a conservation area known as the Bukit Pasoh Conservation Area, which was given conservation status by the Urban Redevelopment Authority on 7 July 1989. The buildings in the area mainly consist of two and three storey shophouses in transitional, late and art deco architectural styles.^[4]
However, now the current Keong Saik Road is a far cry from the district it once was. Pubs, top rated restaurants, martial arts schools have popped in the vicinity and there are little traces of the brothels it was infamous for. The change in human and heritage landscape has been very significant.

Teck Lim Road (Chinese: 德霖路) is named after Chinese businessman Ong Tek Lim, who is the son of Ong Kew Ho. He owned a shop known as Guan Tong (Ong Kew Ho & Company), which was well known for tapioca. Tek Lim was a Justice of Peace and was elected Municipal Commissioner which he held for three years and also gave a scholarship to the Anglo-Chinese School. The road is  a one-way road linking Keong Saik Road to Neil Road in Chinatown within the Outram Planning Area of Singapore. The road is lined with conserved shophouses and houses a number of budget hotels.

Long meeting at work.

Boring Meeting + Attractive Vistas = Distractions.

Central Fire Station, Singapore

The Central Fire Station (Chinese: 中央消防局) is the oldest existing fire station in Singapore, and is located at Hill Street in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.

History

The idea for a professional Fire Brigade was conceived after a fire in Kling Street destroyed S$13,000 worth of property on 7 November 1855. It was 14 years before a volunteer fire service was started and a further 36 years before Singapore's first proper fire station — Central Fire Station — was built.

In 1905, planning for Central Fire Station began under the supervision of the Fire Brigade superintendent, Montague Pett. The station was completed in 1908. Built at a cost of S$64,000, it included a watch tower and living quarters for firemen.

Central Fire Station had four portable water pumps. Nonetheless, even this basic setting was a huge improvement over what existed before. Superintendent Pett fought for improved working conditions and initiated fire safety measures in public buildings. Standards of operations rose to a professional level and the degree of fire-related damage fell significantly.

The handing over of the fire service to Pett and the setting up of Central Fire Station was a welcome and much needed change. From that time, the Fire Brigade has consistently grown and improved. It became so invaluable that during the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese retained British firemen in their jobs, who were thus spared incarceration.

The Central Fire Station was gazetted as a national monument on 18 December 1998.

Tours

Although the Singapore Fire Service was integrated with the Singapore Civil Defence Force in 1989 and is no longer an independent entity, the Central Fire Station remains in use today.

The Civil Defence Heritage Gallery housed in Central Fire Station showcases the history of firefighting in Singapore, and reveals the developments of civil defence in Singapore from the 19th century till today.

Visitors to the heritage gallery can learn about the civil defence's progression in Singapore through the years, with displays of antique fire engines and other firefighting equipment. There are customised interactive stations for a close-up experience of what fire fighters and rescuers go through during a mission. There are also tours up the hose tower of the Central Fire Station, which was Singapore's highest point during the 1920s.

Cavenagh Bridge at Boat Quay, Singapore River

Cavenagh Bridge, a Singapore River crossing, located in Central Region. Named after Sir Lieutenant General William Orfeur Cavenagh, the last Governor of the Straits Settlements (1859 - 1867) under British India control. It was built in 1868 and is today the oldest bridge across the Singapore River. It was the last major work of the Indian convicts based in Singapore. Now it serves as a foot-bridge for pedestrian traffic only.

History
In July 1856, there was a mere wooden foot-bridge where the Cavenagh Bridge now stands. In 1868, Cavenagh Bridge was built to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of the Straits Settlements held in 1869. It is named after Colonel Cavenagh, the last Governor of the Straits Settlements (1859 - 1867) under the Government of British India, although originally Governor Ord had planned for it to be named "Edinburgh Bridge" because it was first used during the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to Singapore. Governor Ord eventually relented when members of the Singapore Legislative Council decided that it should honour and perpetuate the name of the last Governor appointed by the British East India Company to Singapore. Cavenagh Bridge was the last major project undertaken by Indian convict labour in 1869.

Description
Cavenagh Bridge was opened without ceremony. It was designed by Colonel G.C. Collyer, Chief Engineer of the Straits Settlements, with R.M. Ordish, of the Public Works Department, then under the charge of John Turnbull Thomson. Its steel structure was shipped out from Glasgow by P&W MacLellan, and constructed by these P&W MacLellan Engineers of Scotland of the Clutha Ironworks: the same company that had built the cast iron Telok Ayer Market. The Cavenagh family coat-of-arms can be seen on the cross-beams at both ends of the steel structure. The bridge linked Commercial Square (Raffles Place) and the government quarter, an essential alternative to get to the Post Office, replacing the ferry crossing which had cost a duit ("one cent") per ride.  Although Cavenagh Bridge had trams trundling across it, all heavy traffic was diverted to the Anderson Bridge when it was built in 1909. Cavenagh Bridge was declared off limits to 'vehicles exceeding 3 cwts, cattle and horses', then was converted into a pedestrian bridge. Unfortunately, the bridge had not been designed to make allowances for the tides and as late as 1983, the bumboats (tongkangs in Malay or twa-koh in Chinese) plowing the river had to wait for low tide before making their way under the bridge. In 1987, Cavenagh Bridge underwent a five-month refurbishment by the Public Works Department (PWD), to preserve and strengthen its structure. The restoration work cost a total of $1.2 million and the bridge was reopened on 3 July 1987. Today it is the oldest bridge across Singapore River.

Variant Names
Chinese names: In Hokkien Hai-Ki thih tiau-kio, and in Cantonese Hoi-pin thit tiu-khiu, mean "Iron suspension bridge by the sea shore".

Empress Place Building (Asian Civilisations Museum)

The Empress Place Building (Chinese: 皇后坊大厦) is a historic building in Singapore, located on the north bank of the Singapore River in the Downtown Core, within the Central Area in Singapore's central business district. The building is currently the second wing of the Asian Civilisations Museum. The other wing of the museum is located at the Old Tao Nan School building along Armenian Street.

 

History
During the colonial era, the Empress Place Building was known simply as Government Offices. The first civic buildings were planned here in Sir Stamford Raffles' day. Originally intended to be a courthouse, the Empress Place Building instead became offices for the government departments located in the adjacent Maxwell's House (later the old Parliament House).
Maxwell's House, designed by George Drumgoole Coleman, was a two-storey house built for a merchant, John Argyle Maxwell, in 1827. However, it was never occupied by him and it became a courthouse and lands office. Subsequently, it was converted to Government Offices and additions were made in 1839 and 1847.

Constructed in four phases from 1864 to 1920, Government Offices was built to provide much needed space for the growing colonial administration. The original section of the building was designed by colonial engineer J.F.A. McNair and built by convict labour between June 1864 and December 1867. This original section now forms the part of the building nearest to the old Parliament House.

Yet another courthouse was built in 1865; this is now the core of the Government Offices. In 1873-1875, the old courthouse was extended towards the river and this is where the Supreme Court of the Colony held its sessions from 1875 until 1939 when the first Supreme Court was built. Maxwell's original house became the Assembly House in 1954 after extensive renovations and reconstruction. The decision to build a new Town Hall was made in 1854; the building was completed in 1862.

Government Offices that were housed included the Secretariat, Audit Office, Registration of Deeds Office, Land Office, Public Works and Medical Department, Treasury and Stamp Office, and the bureaus of the Colonial Engineer, the Official Assignee, and the Inspector General of the Police Force. The Legislative Chamber occupied a room on the upper floor.
In front of the building was a public square which was given the name Empress Place by the Municipal Council in 1907 in honour of Queen Victoria. It may well be the oldest pedestrian space in Singapore. Over time, Government Offices became associated with Empress Place and its name changed to what we know it today.

As the demand for more government office space increased, three major extensions were added in 1880, 1904-1909 and 1920. Fortunately, every one of these extensions were faithful to McNair's Neo-Palladian design and the building maintained a harmonious overall look.

In the surrounding area also known as Empress Place, the Memorial Hall and Tower were added in 1905 and extensive renovations were carried out from 1954 till 1979. Raffles' statue, now in front of the Victoria Memorial Hall and Theatre, as it is now called, was first erected on the Padang in 1887 but later removed to its present site in 1919. A second statue, a copy of the first one, was erected at Raffles Landing Place in 1972. The Dalhousie Memorial was originally located at Dalhousie Pier but found its present place in 1886. Cavenagh Bridge was built in 1869 and was converted to pedestrian traffic after the erection of Anderson Bridge. These are the major elements which have contributed to the developing qualities of Empress Place.

The Empress Place Building was used by government departments until the late 1980s. It is perhaps best known as the Registry of Births and Deaths, the Citizenship Registry, and the Immigration Department.
In the late 1980s, plans were made to convert Empress Place Building into a museum. Extensive restoration began, culminating in the opening of the Empress Place Museum on 7 April 1989 by the then Second Deputy Prime Minister Ong Teng Cheong.

Although the museum was afflicted with structural and logistical problems from its inception, it nonetheless managed to organise five outstanding exhibitions on Chinese history in six short years. The first of these exhibitions, which featured royal objects from the Qing Dynasty, put on display many precious artefacts never seen before outside China. By 1995, the museum's problems got the better of it and on 30 April that year, it closed its doors.

Subsequently, the Empress Place Building underwent renovations and opened as the second wing of the Asian Civilisations Museum on 2 March 2003, exhibiting Southeast, South, and West Asian collections.
The Empress Place Building was gazetted as a national monument on 14 February 1992.
Architecture

Located at the mouth of the Singapore River, the Empress Place Building's imposing Neo-Palladian exterior with timber-louvred windows and pitched clay tile roofs caught the attention of immigrants and visitors sailing into Singapore harbour. A 1905 Singapore guidebook describes Government Offices and its neighbouring buildings thus: "Apart from the cities of India, there is, perhaps, no place in the East which boasts such a handsome group of [government] buildings as viewed from the sea."

Inside, the rooms are stately, with high ceilings, handsome Doric columns and exquisite plaster mouldings and cornices. Elegantly proportioned, the building is laid out symmetrically along a central axis.

Asian Civilisations Museum (current use)
The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM, Chinese: 亚洲文明博物馆) is an institution which forms a part of the three museums of the National Museum of Singapore. It is one of the pioneering museums in the region to specialise in pan-Asian cultures and civilisations. The museum specialises in the material history of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia, from which the diverse ethnic groups of Singapore trace their ancestry.

History
The museum first opened its doors at the Old Tao Nan School building on 22 April 1997 at Armenian Street, with exhibits largely centred on Chinese civilisation. With the restoration of the Empress Place Building, the museum established its new flagship museum there on 2 March 2003, rapidly expanding the collection to other areas of Asia. The Armenian Street branch closed for renovations on 1 January 2006 and reopened on 25 April 2008 as the Peranakan Museum, specialising in Peranakan culture.

On September 16, 2006, the Museum officially launched its new logo with a new slogan The Asian Civilisations Museum - Where Asian Cultures Come Alive!. This new logo reflects the museum's unique location by the historic Singapore River, the source and origin of Singapore multi-cultural society, which the ACM presents in its collection. The brown reflected image also alludes to the museum as a place for reflection, while the vibrant orange is an invigorating colour which represents activity and energy.

NOVEMBER SKETCHWALK 26 NOV 10AM.

Hi all, here is the sketchwalk plan for this saturday. We will be reprising Keong Saik for the new comers and covering Bukit Pasoh too, which will be a new area for us all. If you come late, please find us along this route.

Meeting/Endpoint - URA centre Atrium

Location #1 - Junction of Neil Road & Teck Lim Road

Location #2 - Keong Saik road

Location #3 - Bukit Pasoh (Majestic Hotel)

Date : 26th Nov 2011

Time: 10.00am --1.00pm (Sketchwalk)

         1.00pm (Show & Tell @ Atrium)

Starbucks at Raffles City, Singapore.

A night cap before going home. Last sketch of the day at Starbucks at Raffles City.

Dinner sketch at Watami, Raffles City.

Dinner at Watami, Raffles City.

Restaurant sketch at Diandin Leluk.

A pit-stop at Diandin Leluk at Golden Mile Complex after the group sketchwalk. Did a quick sketch of fellow sketch mates Parka and Tony.

The Golden Mile Complex

The Golden Mile Complex is a commercial and residential development, providing offices, shopping, entertainment services and apartment living within its podium and stepped terrace structure. It houses 411 shops, 226 offices and 68 residential units.^[2] The building was designed by Gan Eng Oon, William Lim and Tay Kheng Soon of the Singapore architect firm Design Partnership, now known as DP Architects.

Sited on 1.3 hectares and built to a height of 89 metres (292 feet),^[5] the Golden Mile Complex is an exemplary type of "megastructure" described by architectural historian, Reyner Banham. It is one of the few that have been actually realised in the world. Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate Fumihiko Maki had called the Golden Mile Complex a "collective form". It successfully propagates high-density usage and diversity under a broad range of ideas advanced by the Japanese Metabolist Movement of the 1960s. The complex was designed as a "vertical city", which stands in contrast to homogenised cities where functional zoning restrains all signs of the latter's vitality.

Conceived as a prototype for a lively environment, the design of the Golden Mile Complex was intended to catalyse urban development along Beach Road by employing an extruded section that would stretch along the East Coast facing the sea. In terms of public transport and accessibility, the building is serviced from the rear on Beach Road, instead of its frontage with Nicoll Highway, with a continuous pedestrian spine linking all buildings in the Golden Mile of Beach Road. The design was influenced by the linear city concepts of Le Corbusier and Arturo Soria y Mata.^[6]

The stepped profile of the Golden Mile Complex offers the occupants of the apartments on the upper floors a panoramic view of the sea and sky. All the apartments have balconies, and two-storey maisonette penthouses crown off the building. The narrowness of this sloping slab form enhances natural ventilation and shades a lofty communal concourse above the podium along Beach Road. The stepped design also reduces the impact of noise from the road traffic. The Golden Mile Complex preceded by several years avant-garde stepped-section buildings which were built in the United Kingdom and Europe.^[6]

The lower floors contain offices and a retail mall, located within staggered atria to allow natural light into the heart of the building.

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes was constructed in 1888. This is the first Tamil Catholic church in Singapore. Its design is modelled after the original church at Lourdes, France.
Many architectural historians attribute this building to Swan & Maclaren, but it was more probably designed by a priest–architect, such as Father Nain, as many other Catholic buildings in Singapore were at the time. It could not have been executed by Swan & Maclaren, to whom it is often attributed, as the partnership was not formed until 1893, at which time the building was completed. More than likely the plans were submitted by A.W. Lermit of Swan & Lermit.

Today, the Church is used, up to a point, for the purpose for which it was built, i.e. as a worshipping place for Tamil Catholics. However, over the last decade, and in the interests of a multi-racial nation, it has welcomed Catholics of all races. Masses are held in English, Tamil and Singhalese.

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes was gazetted as a national monument on 14 January 2005.

Rochor Centre and Hong Leng Yien Temple

Rochor Centre is a building in Singapore built by the Housing and Development Board. It was built and completed in 1977. There are total of 4 blocks (Block 1, 2, 3 and 4) with over 180 shops, ranging from ceremonial goods to hardware, electrical appliances, beauty salons and eating outlets.

A carpark for residents and visitors is located at the basement. The first three floors consists of shop houses and offices. The fourth floor is a void deck and residents stay from the fifth floor onwards.
Rochor Centre will soon be demolished, to make way for the new North-South Expressway (NSE) in the southern segment of the project.

It is among more than 20 private properties which will have part of their plots acquired for the highway and several slip roads and ramps leading to and from the highway, reported the Straits Times.
Earlier this year, the government gave the green light for the 15.9 km North-South Expressway (NSE) between Admiralty Road West and Toa Payoh Rise, and announced properties in the northern segment which will be affected by the construction.

Construction of the NSE will begin in 2015. When completed, the 21.5km NSE will connect towns along Woodlands, Sembawang, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan and Toa Payoh with the city centre and will link to the Seletar Expressway, Pan-Island Expressway and East Coast Parkway Expressway. Motorists can expect to save up to 30% of their travel time during peak hours when travelling along this route. 

While all efforts have been made to minimise land acquisition, two full lots, consisting of four HDB blocks at Rochor Centre and an association building at Keng Lee Road, and 21 part lots will need to be acquired to facilitate the construction of NSE.

A personal memory trip down Singapore's commercial lane

Raffles Hotel (Chinese: 莱佛士酒店) is a colonial-style hotel in Singapore, and one of the world's most famous hotels. The hotel was established by the famous Armenian Sarkies Brothers. Opened in 1887, it was named after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles. Managed by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, it is known for its luxurious accommodation and superb restaurants. The hotel houses a tropical garden courtyard, museum and Victorian-style theatre.

The National Museum of Singapore (Chinese: 新加坡国家博物院) is a national museum in Singapore and the oldest museum in Singapore. Its history dates back to 1849 when it was started as a section of a library at Singapore Institution. After several relocations, the Museum was relocated to its permanent site at Stamford Road at the Museum Planning Area in 1887.
The Museum is one of the four national museums in the country, the other three being the two Asian Civilisations Museums at Empress Place Building and Old Tao Nan School, and the Singapore Art Museum. The museum focuses on exhibits related to the history of Singapore. The Museum was named the National Museum of Singapore in 1965. For a brief period between 1993 and March 2006, it was known as the Singapore History Museum, before reverting back to its previous name. The Museum underwent a three-and-a-half-year restoration and reopened on December 2, 2006, with the Singapore History Gallery opening on December 8 of the same year.
The revamped National Museum was officially opened by former President of Singapore S R Nathan and Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lee Boon Yang on 7 December 2006.

 

ION Orchard (Chinese: 乌节弯), formerly known as the Orchard Turn Development or Orchard Turn Site, is a shopping mall by Orchard Turn Developments Pte Ltd , a joint venture between CapitaLand and Sun Hung Kai Properties, and started operating on 21 July 2009. The Orchard Residences, a high-rise residential condominium, will also be built together with the shopping mall under the same developer, manager and owner, and is expected to be completed by late 2009. Orchard Turn Developments Pte Ltd only have a 99-year leasehold with effect from 13 March 2006.

Located along the prime shopping district of Singapore, Orchard Road, The Orchard Residences will be the tallest building along the shopping district, standing at 218 metres. This residential building will have a total of 175 residential units from the ninth floor to the 54th floor once completed, four of which are penthouses. During the first phase of the sale of 98 units, the units were sold for an average of S$3213 per sq ft. Orchard Road's newest shopping mall, ION Orchard, has 335 food and retail outlets.

The St. Regis Singapore opened its doors in December 2007, and has since brought unprecedented levels of luxury accommodation to the shores of Singapore. A hallmark of the St. Regis brand is bespoke service, with ever-present yet unobtrusive butlers catering to every guest’s unique tastes and preferences. The St. Regis is the only hotel in Singapore to offer butler service to all guests.

Sketchwalk at Telok Ayer, Singapore

The Club Hotel at Ann Siang Hill, Telok Ayer

Wing Chun Huei Kuan (永春会馆) at Boon Tat Street, Telok Ayer

Nagore Durgha Shrine at Telok Ayer Street, Telok Ayer.

Skool Sketch

A quick 30-minute sketch of the eco-garden at the workplace. An attempt to pass the sketching bug to colleagues.

Bussorah Lane, Arab Street, Singapore

The iconic Jamal Kazura Aromatics perfume house at Bussorah Lane

Wanted to sketch the Sultan Mosque with its golden dome at sunset. Alas, the lane leading to it is under renovation. Instead, did the equally iconic Jamal Kazura Aromatics perfume store while having iced coffee at the famous Kampong Glam Cafe.

Starbucks at Rochester Park

Starbucks at Rochester Park

Sunset at Fullerton

Sunset at Fullerton overlooking Marina Bay Sands

Fort Canning Centre Singapore

Fort Canning Park's Visitors' Centre
(previously known as Bukit Larangan - Forbidden Hill)

Tea Pavilion in a school library.

CBD Skyline, Singapore

Second in a series of Singapore's cityscapes - the CBD skyline