Few stretches of waterfront sum up modern Singapore as neatly as Marina Bay, the man-made basin ringed by some of the city most recognisable landmarks. Created by damming the mouth of the Singapore River to form a freshwater reservoir, the bay is bordered by the three towers and rooftop deck of Marina Bay Sands, the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum, the spiked durian shells of the Esplanade theatres and the Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay. The bay began as an ambitious reclamation project, extending the downtown out over former sea and turning what had been open water into a tightly planned district of offices, hotels, gardens and public promenades. A continuous waterfront walk now loops the entire basin, linking the financial district on one side to the gardens and convention halls on the other, and crossing the DNA-inspired Helix Bridge along the way. For visitors the appeal lies in the concentration of sights within a single easy circuit, best appreciated on foot in the cooler evening hours. The nightly Spectra light-and-water show plays out over the bay, the Merlion spouts from its perch on the northern edge, and the floating platform that once hosted national parades sits offshore. By day a quiet venue for joggers and lunch breaks, by night a glittering amphitheatre of reflected towers, Marina Bay functions as the symbolic centre of the contemporary city and the backdrop to its biggest celebrations. The transformation of the bay is a story of deliberate nation-building. The barrage that seals the basin from the sea, completed in 2008, doubles as a flood-control measure and a freshwater reservoir, and it turned a tidal harbour mouth into the calm sheet of water seen today. Planners set out to shift the centre of gravity of the downtown southward onto reclaimed land, clustering icons around the water so that the city would have a recognisable heart and a stage for public events. That stage is heavily used: National Day parades, fireworks, countdown celebrations and the Formula One night race all play out around the bay, drawing huge crowds to its promenades. On quieter days the circuit suits a slow walk, with rest points, public art and cafes along the way, and the contrast between the historic Fullerton building on one shore and the futuristic gardens and towers on the other captures Singapore leap from colonial port to global city in a single view.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Singapore, Singapore