OUR TREASURES: Marina Bay Sands | Singapore

Singapore has a new iconic landmark to the tune of US$ 5.7 Billion!

The Marina Bay Sands opened last 23 June 2010 and boasts the Skypark cantileverd atop the 3 buildings. I don't know about you but this has got to one of the most spectacular architecture the world has ever seen.

The 3 towers has 55 floors each, total of 2,560 hotel rooms, casino halls, The Shoppes mall and all amenities of a mini-city.

The view from the snake bridge in Marina Bay.

This is the world's largest Infinity Pool; 650 ft above.

The top view of the casino.

How to get there: Get off Promenade MRT Station and follow the signs.

It's just a few minutes walk. Or just keep walking, this landmark can be seen

anywhere where the tourists ply.

Majulah!

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MENARA KL: Southeast Asia’s Tallest Architectural Perfection

This imposing structure is the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night outside the window of my KL loft…

The region’s tallest structure has been reigning for 12 years since its opening in 1 October 1996. It is 1,381 ft (421m) tall and the world’s tallest single standing concrete structure and currently the world’s 5th tallest telecom tower. Eight years of planning and 5 years in the making… the Menara KL (KL Tower) was the symbol of Malaysia’s progress long before the Petronas Towers.

The Menara KL is evidence to Malaysia’s commitment to the environment – which, by the way, is the weakness of other countries in our region. The tower was erected atop a hill called Bukit Nanas (Pineapple Hill) next to an ancient rainforest in the center of Kuala Lumpur.

When the construction ran into a 100-year old Jelutong tree… the builders moved the tower instead of cutting it down. The re-planning cost them US$128,000 (RM450,000/ 450 million Baht)! Isn’t that admirable or what? Menara KL was designed by a local firm Kumpulan Senireka Sdn. Bhd. and constructed by Wayss & Freytag.

At the foot of the tower are the Entrance Mall and the Main Lobby. You can walk around, shop and admire what the Malaysian’s have done to this beautiful place. Pamphlet guides in many languages are available for free. Entrance fee is 20 Ringgit for adults and 10 Ringgit for kids. Open from 9am-10pm. There's BASE JUMPING/Free Fall too! Which we'll feature later on th blog.

While waiting for the lift in the Main Lobby…don’t forget to look up at the ceiling – the glass domes from Persia is breath talking. If you don’t fancy waiting for the lifts… you can take the stairs with 2,058 steps, for all I care.

The observation deck on top of the tower is indoors; it is the best way to see Kuala Lumpur at 360 – unlike the Petronas Skybridge where 2 gigantic buildings are blocking the view on both sides *smirk* There is also a revolving restaurant for romantic dinners.

Wanna visit? You betcha! – Menara KL is extremely recommended. Take the Monorail and get off Bukit Nanas Station then walk towards ING Bldg (that eye-sore orange building) on Jalan P. Ramlee. Keep walking past it and turn right on the first intersection. Get it? You need some serious leg power from here. It's gonna be uphill extravaganza...

Take a cab IF you have the talent to persuade the driver to press the “meter” button -- OR if you don’t mind having “stupid” written on your forehead while riding his cab without meter. Ha! Don't tell me didn't warn ya.

The Menara KL - Pride of Southeast Asia.


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-- Pisanu in Beijing

SOUTHEAST ASIA’S BEST MUSEUM: Muzium Kesenian Islam Malaysia

With 10 years of extensive travel in the whole of Southeast Asia, I have never seen any museum quite like it. I will not play safe, so I’ll say it bluntly – this is utterly the best museum in our region. *no appeals would be entertained*

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur is Southeast Asia’s largest museum of Islamic art. From curious gears to bedazzling jewelries, from ancient scripts to more bedazzling jewelries, and from exotic textile designs to yet more bedazzling jewelries!

You will see thousands of fascinating things -- The intricate details of Islamic designs from the Mid-East, China, India and Southeast Asia, the heritage, the weapons, the tapestries, the cool scale models, all of ‘em! And…have I mentioned bedazzling jewelries already?

There are 12 galleries and the exhibits are quite straight forward. No unnecessary banners and flyers, no fancy gimmicks -- Just pleasingly simple, well-lit presentation. At first, it looks plain...but if you look closely on the walls, the floor, the cieling... the intricate details are there!

The museum was officially opened on 12 December 1998 as a gift to the good people of Malaysia (and us, of course) from the Albukhary Foundation.

Location: Jalan Lembah Perdana in Kuala Lumpur. A few minutes walk from the National Mosque or the Lake Gardens. Visiting hours: 10am to 6pm; Tuesdays-Sundays and public holidays; Closed on Mondays. Entrance fee: 12 Ringgit (US$3.50/120 Baht) for adults, half the price for visitors below 18 y.o. and senior citizens. And FREE for kids below 6 (providing you don’t let them run around and ruin the exhibits! Ha!)

Southeast Asia’s most fascinating and best presented museum is the MUZIUM KESENIAN ISLAM MALAYSIA (its local name). Believe me. You gotta see it. You’d come out inspired, educated and overwhelmed with what you just saw.

When you’re in Kuala Lumpur, check their ongoing exhibitions here.

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SOUTHEAST ASIA'S PALACES OF POWER

The most powerful and influential houses of our region...

The Istana Nurul Iman in Bandar Seri Begawan is where the handsome Sultan of Brunei lives. He also uses it as his office to run the country and receive dignitaries. It was built in 1984 and became the largest palace in the world.

The Khemarin Palace is the official residence of King Norodom Sihamoni. It is located on the grounds of the Royal Palace Complex in Phnom Penh. The palace was built together with adjacent royal buildings in 1866 when the royal seat was transferred from Oudong.

The Istana Negara and Istana Merdeka is the seat of power of the Republic of Indonesia. Both are located in the same compound next to each other. Here is where the president holds office, receive dignitaries and execute his official duties. Located on Merdeka Street in Jakarta.

The Laotian President “officially” lives at the Presidential Palace in Vientiane. But he rarely goes here; except for state functions. It was originally built for the French Colonial governors in the 1900s and the Royal Family briefly lived here before they were deposed in the 1970s. Located at the base of Lane Xang Road.

The official residence of the Supreme King of Malaysia, Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur. It was built in 1928. The west wing is where the power of the whole of Malaysia concentrates. It is located along Jalan Syed Putra on Bukit Petaling. The Seri Perdana is where the Prime Minister lives.

The official residence of the President of the Philippines is the Malacañang Palace. It was originally built in 1802 but didn’t become an official presidential residence until 1935. It is located in the Malacañang Presidential Complex in Manila.

The Istana Singapore (总统府) is the official residence of the President of Singapore. But he doesn’t actually sleep there. They only use it for state functions and receiving dignitaries. Built in 1867 by the Brits and didn’t become a presidential residence until 1957. Located along the “shopping haven” Orchard Road.

His Majesty the King of Thailand lives at the Chitrlada Palace in Bangkok. It is around 4km away from the Grand Palace. The Baan Phitsanulok is where the Prime Minister lives.

The official residence of the President of Timor Leste is the Palacio Das Cinzas in Dili. The Prime Minister is at the Government Palace.

The Phủ Chủ tịch in Hanoi is the official residence of the President Nguyen Minh Triet of Vietnam. It was built by the French in 1906. Located along Bach Thao Road, Ba Dinh District in Hanoi.

Our palaces of power.

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*Photo credit: NGC et. al.

ISTANA NURUL IMAN: The World's Largest Palace

The world’s largest Royal Palace is found in our neighboring village called Brunei. The Istana Nurul Iman is where the handsome Sultan and his families live *families in plural form, wink wink*. He also uses it for State functions, running the country, or whatever the heck he pleases. The office of the Prime Minister is also here so he can keep an eye on him*self*. LOL!

How large is the “largest”?

The Istana Nurul Iman was completed in 1984. It cost around US$1.4 Billion ONLY (in those days!). The total floor area is 2,152,782 sq ft. That’s 28 football fields! Whoa! And half the size of the entire Vatican City! And if you fancy building a pyramid as big as in Giza… you can fit 4 of those in the Istana Nurul Iman.
It is larger than the Buckingham Palace in London and the Royal Palace in Madrid.

Well… it only has 1,788 rooms to start, thank you very much. The 257 bathrooms would keep you squeaky clean all day. It has a Throne Hall, a banquet hall that can accommodate 4,000 guests; a mosque that can fit 1,500 people. It has 5 swimming pools, 564 chandeliers, 44 stairwells, and 18 elevators. Did I mention central air conditioning? Ok, add that too. There.

I heard the Sultan is not much into cars.

He keeps 165 Rolls Royce’s ONLY. And his collection of custom-made Ferraris, Bentleys, and Porsche says that he really doesn’t like cars much. Oh my god! His world famous 110-car garage is full! Where does he keep the rest? I want his contact number! Quick!

Giddy-yup delight. The Sultan keeps more than 200 Polo ponies in an air conditioned stable within the palace grounds. I wanna know who rides ‘em and where do they dispose tons of horse**** they gather everyday. Ha!

You wanna visit? Dream on dude! ~ The palace is not open to the public. Uhm, well, except on Hari Raya Aidilfitri where it is an open house to welcome Bruneians and visitors for a 3-day chow fest.

What's in a name? - Istana means "palace", Nurul means "light" and Iman means "believe".

The Istana Nurul Iman –
Treasure of Brunei, Pride of Southeast Asia.

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OUR TREASURES: The Esplanade

Arguably Southeast Asia’s most magnificent arts complex and I'm definitely not arguing. Singapore’s Esplanade is one of the best architecture I have ever seen and one of the most beautiful buildings on Earth.

Locals endearingly call it “The Durian”. But contrary to popular belief, the original design didn’t intend to look like the smelly *and hellish!* fruit. It just so happen it looks like one. And others call it “the fly’s eyes” anyway, meaning, it’s all subject to personal interpretation.

30 years in the making – this performing arts complex was worth the wait. It has put Singapore on the international cultural map. World-class performers can’t wait to caboodle the state-of-the-art acoustics and stage of this “classy” venue. Some of Asia’s largest productions is on stage here.

Esplanade formally opened on 12 October 2002 and the government even issued commemorative stamps to mark the occasion. Located in 6 hectares (15 acres) of uber-prime land and was built to the tune of…hold your breath…US$400 million. Whew! Get a load of that!

The Esplanade was purposely built to be the centre of the performing arts of the Republic of Singapore. There is a 1,600 seat concert hall and a 2,000-seat theatre for the performing arts. There are outdoors venues as well in a 300-meter-long waterfront facing Marina Bay.

What do you make of those triangular aluminium that covers the building? Are those petals? Fish scales? Thorny spikes? What? Those are especially designed to cover the building from direct sunlight. It also allows a fantastic view of the skyline from the inside. Since Singapore is about 83 miles south of the equator, the sun’s path is constant all year round.

How do you know when a building is in Singapore? Well, a good give-away is that it is connected to a shopping mall. Yup! An architectural wonder as the Esplanade is connected to a shopping mall with its namesake. There’s a courtyard where you can people watch, relax and bask in the sun. Wonderful, wonderful place.

How to get there? Take the subway and get off City Hall MRT Station and its just 10 mins walk from there. If you’re the bus-riding kind; take 36, 56, 75, 70, 77, 97, 106, NR1, NR2, NR5 and a lot more. Taking the tube is probably the better option, or better yet...those nice cabs.

Singapore's Esplanade --
Treasure of Southeast Asia.

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PHSAR THMEI: Testament of Phnom Penh’s Sophisticated Past

Phnom Pehn’s most distinctive landmark is virtually unknown to many. It has one of the biggest domes in the world and its Art Deco architecture is an imposing testament of Phnom Penh’s former elegance and sophistication.

This is Phsar Thmei – commonly known as the Central Market. The four wings of the building houses trade stalls selling everything from souvenirs to electronics; food, silverwares to silk. It is comparable to the great markets of Chatuchak in Bangkok, Tutuban in Manila or the Morning Market in Vientiane but not as grand in architecture.


Under the dome is a dazzling display of jewels, silver and gold, of course, all for sale. I noticed that the dome is not supported by any beam and there are no huge electric lights at all! Only natural light illuminates the interior and the view up is spectacular. Since the building uses natural light, it means that the market closes before 5pm or so.

This amazing building was built by the French some 80 years ago. It is one of the ultra-modern buildings in the region at that time. Because of civil conflicts and political changes in Cambodia, Phsar Thmei was left out and never promoted as one of the country’s great landmarks.

X Marks the Spot. Satellite photos of Phsar Thmei shows it as a big X covering blocks of the city. It is located 1km away from the National Museum and the Royal Palace. From Hotel Raffles Le Royal is about 800m walk but if you’re staying at the Intercon, it’s about 3km away. The vicinity is a highly commercialized area, budget accommodations are mostly found here and you can find almost anything you're looking for.

Shopping-wise, there is nothing really special about the place. Although millions of things for sale here will keep you busy and amazed with the variety. Prices here are a bit higher than other markets in the city.

But nevertheless -- the architecture, the design, the history and the character of the building itself is worth the visit. It is so unique that there is no other building in Southeast Asia quite like it. This beautiful and historic building must be preserved.

The Phsar Thmei – Southeast Asia’s architectural treasure.


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OUR TREASURES: The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh

The Phnom Penh Royal Palace complex is where the good King of Cambodia lives. It is the one single structure symbolizing the spirit and hope of the Cambodian people. The best thing is that it is open to the public and has become one of the city’s main tourist attractions!

The Royal Palace complex is divided into three main compounds -- walls separates the Khemarin Palace, the Throne Hall and the Silver Pagoda.

The seemingly modest Khemarin Palace is called “Prasat Khemarin” by the Cambodians meaning the "Palace of the Khmer King." Here is where H.M. King Sihamoni actually lives. Previous Cambodian kings used to live here as well since it was built in 1866. This part of the complex is off limits to the public.

Next to it is the Throne Hall – where the actual royal throne is located. This is where the good king receives his guests like foreign dignitaries, fellow monarchs and all. This is also where the kings and queens of Cambodia are crowned and other religious and royal functions like a wedding or something like that.

On the North side of the complex is the royal temple of The Silver Pagoda. Cambodians commonly refer to it as Wat Preah Keo. This is where the treasures of the kingdom are housed – the “Emerald Buddha of Cambodia”, the Maitreya Buddha which is encrusted with over 9,500 diamonds! [Can I yell OMG here?] And the floor of the temple is made of over 5,000 (1 ft x 1 ft) pure silver plates!


VISITING HOURS are 7.30am – 11am and 2pm – 5pm everyday. Entrance for tourists is US$3 and an additional charge of $2 if you want to take your camera in. There are prohibited places for photographs. No hats, no shorts, no tank tops, no midriffs, no miniskirts no matter if it is D&G or whatever, just follow the rules and be respectful. The tourist entrance of the complex is at Samdech Sothearos Blvd.

The Phnom Penh Grand Palace - Treasure of Southeast Asia

-Sofia

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SOUTHEAST ASIA'S TALLEST BUILDINGS

Southeast Asia is still the fastest growing economic bloc in the world. *harsh comments and violent reactions are welcome* We comprise of more than 10% of the world population; our GDP is $885 billion; and our purchasing power parity is $2.756 trillion. TAKE THAT!

Listed here are the tallest buildings in Southeast Asia and their corresponding ranks in the world. I was wondering…are really tall buildings a measure of progress? Does it mirror prosperity or it’s all just a big statement?

What about in other parts of the world? Skyscrapers in Europe cannot compete at all with our tall buildings but yet, they are among the richest in the world? Hmmm…

Call it “old school” but still, we can’t deny to ourselves that having tall buildings in our region is our way of saying: “We have arrived”.

Here are The Tallest Buildings in Southeast Asia...is your country included?...

1st. PETRONAS TOWER I (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
1st. PATRONAS TOWER II (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

These two towers share the distinction of the tallest buildings in SE Asia. They are both 1,483 ft. high and have 88 floors each. Both towers are connected by a suspended bridge between the 41st and the 42nd floor. Malaysia really surprised the world when they announced the total height back in1998. Both towers rank as the World's 2nd Tallest Buildings (ranked 2&3 slots) and the Tallest Twin Towers in the whole dang world! TAKE THAT!

3rd. MENARA TELEKOM (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

No, this not the 2nd Tallest because there are 2 Petronas Towers, remember? This architectural beauty on the other side of Kuala Lumpur is 1,017 ft tall (*why did they build it so far from the city center by the way?). It has only 55 floors (too few for a really tall building) and completed in 2001. I don’t know why it didn’t make any noise in Kuala Lumpur or feature it as one of the city’s landmark although it is the 27th Tallest Building in the World and the 3rd tallest in SE Asia. Not bad. Not bad at all.



4th.BAYOKE TOWER II(Bangkok, Thailand)

The 4th Tallest Building in SE Asia is arguably the tallest hotel in Asia as well (so I was told), but of course I know it’s not. The design is just so and so but it does dominate the Bangkok skyline. It is 997 ft with 85 floors completed in 1997. My uncles told me that the construction of this building was almost stopped and abandoned. It was found out halfway that they were building it slightly tilted to the side! Let's hope they corrected it already. But you can still feel the lifts brushing with the building's interior. Scary! It ranks 31st in the world.


5th. OUB CENTER (Singapore)

At 919 ft., this is one of Singapore’s most recognizable land marks. It ranks 50th in the world. But OUB Center only has 63 floors and completed in 1986. Hmmm...1986? This must be the tallest building in Southeast Asia that time, right? Interesting.

5th. UOB PLAZA (Singapore) No, it’s not a typo error. This is also the 5th and the next one below. This building shares the 5th ranking with 2 other Singaporean buildings. I so love the clean and crisp design of this beautiful building! It’s 919 ft tall and has 66 floors. Completed in 1992. World ranked as 50th as well.

5th. REPUBLIC PLAZA (Singapore)

This red graphite building is a real eye candy to me. Love the lines. Love the contour. Love the imposition. It also stands 919 ft tall and has 66 floors and world ranked at 50th as well.








8th. PBCom TOWER (Makati, Philippines)

The tallest building in the Philippines is a glass and steel masterpiece indeed. It’s situated in the country’s financial district, 848 ft tall with 52 floors, completed in 2000. Its simple and plain design makes it rather indistinguishable with other towers in the city, well, aside from it’s height. By the way, rumor has it that they are building the Tallest Building in Southeast Asia? Would they beat the Petronases? (*smiling mischievously). Hmmm…I’ll tell gather more info about it.

In the meantime, they must have to be satisfied as the 8th in SE Asia and 79th in the world. Take that!

9th. CAPITAL TOWER (Singapore)

This building reminds me of the kind of buildings in Gotham City. LOL. Y’know, those really tall towers with a pantheon on top! That’s cool! It’s 833 ft tall and has 52 floors. Ranked 93rd in the whole world.








10th. WISMA 46 (Jakarta, Indonesia)

Surprise, surprise! Jakarta made it to the list as the 10th tallest building in SE Asia. This nicely designed tower is one of Jakarta’s most recognizable land marks. It’s 820 ft tall with 48 floors and completed in 1996. It ranks 99th in the world! Barely made it to 100! Not bad. Not bad at all.






So there it is! The 10 Tallest Buildings in our region. The symbols of progress of our cities. If we would continue the list to 20, it would all be shared by Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore only. TAKE THAT!



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Related article: New Batch of the 10 Tallest Buildings in 2-3 years.